
Glass 



Book 



CopigMF. 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIIi 



MLMOIRS 



OF THL 



CIVIL WAR 

Between the Northern and Southern Sections 

of the United States of America 

1861 to 1865 



m 



By 

Captain William W. Chamberlaine 

of the Confederate States Army of 
Northern Virginia 



Press of Byron 5. Adams 

Washington, D. C. 

1912 



£'66^ 



C^ 



£CI.A327 477 



INTRODUCTION 

The intention of these memoirs is to fur- 
nish my children and their descendants, in 
printed form, an account of the experience of 
the writer during the War waged from 1861 
to 1865 by the Northern States of the Union 
against the Government set up by the South- 
ern States, in order to force the latter to re- 
turn to the Union. During its existence, the 
group of Southern States took the name of 
the Confederate States of America. My Great 
Grandfather was a Lieutenant serving with 
the Barrons in the Navy of the Colony of 
Virginia during the Revolutionary War of 
1776 and his son, my paternal Grandfather, 
served with the Militia in the war with Eng- 
land in 1812, both were named George Cham- 
berlaine. Having often wished they had left 
an account of their experiences in the Serv- 
ice, I determined that if my descendants had 
a desire to know something of my Experience 
in the War of 1861 to 1865, they would have 
it in permanent form. I have now reached a 
ripe old age, but my memory of the events 
related is clear, and I have a few cotem- 
poraries left, who served in the same Army 
and perhaps some of them may take an inter- 
est in reading this account of scenes familiar 
to themselves. If they find the personal pro- 
noun used very often, they should remember 
that this is a statement of my personal recol- 
lections and excuse its frequent use. 

The Author. 




,,^ml, 



iiiiiai 




n 



CAPTAIN WM. W. CHAMBERLAINE 
IN 1863 



CHAPTER I. 
Service With the Infantry. 

In the year 1859 (I was then twenty-three 
years old) John Brown attempted to array the 
negroes in Northern Virginia against the 
white people, and with his followers, mostly 
negroes, took possession of Harper's Ferry. 
Troops were dispatched to the scene by the 
U. S. Government, as there was an Arsenal 
at Harpers Ferry, and after a short struggle 
John Brown and his followers were taken 
prisoners and turned over to the authorities 
of Virginia. There were some casualties dur- 
ing the fight, which was conducted by Col. 
R. E. Lee assisted by Lieut. J. E. B. Stewart, 
both of the Regular U. S. Cavalry and an of- 
ficer of the U. S. Marines, on the part of the 
. Government. That attempt of John Brown 
excited the Military spirit of the young men 
and Volunteer Companies were formed in 
different places in Virginia. 

At Norfolk, Va., a Company was formed 
by the young gentlemen of the City, and was 
called the Southern Guard and Company F. 
I had attended the Norfolk Military Academy 
in my youth, and was quite proficient in the 
School of the Company and of the Battalion. 
An election was held for officers, both Com- 
missioned and Non-Commissioned, and I was 
elected Corporal. The Company was com- 
manded by Captain Edmond Bradford, form- 
erly an officer of the U. S. Artillery, with 
Harry Williamson, who had served in the 
War with Mexico, as First Lieutenant, and 

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R. C. Taylor, a graduate of the Virginia Mili- 
tary Institute, as Second Lieutenant. Walter 
H. Taylor was First Sergeant. 

The Company was drilled and paraded dur- 
ing two years following. In the meantime 
Sergeant Taylor had been promoted, by elec- 
tion, to Second Lieutenant to fill a vacancy 
and I was made First Sergeant. 

Then came the election of A. Lincoln as 
President. The Gulf States began to pass or- 
dinances of Secession from the Union. In 
March following Lincoln was inaugurated and 
took his place at the head of the Government. 
Step by step m the next month acts were com- 
mitted by the Seceded States and the U. S. 
Government which led to the War. A con- 
vention was in session at Richmond, Va. A 
majority of the members were opposed to Se- 
cession and great efforts were made to pre- 
serve peace, but when the President called 
upon the States for their quota of a force of 
seventy-five thousand men to coerce the Se- 
ceded States, the Virginia Convention decided 
to join the Gulf States and passed an ordi- 
nance of Secession. I was then staying at my 
father's house on E. Main Street, and that 
same night at twelve o'clock, there was a ring 
of the front door bell. It was a messenger 
with an order for me to assemble Company F 
at the Armory. Before 2.00 A. M., the Com- 
pany having assembled, it was marched by 
Lieut. Williamson by way of Ghent to Fort 
Norfolk. The distance was two miles. At 
Ghent the command was given to halt and 
load. The muskets being loaded we pro- 
ceeded to Fort Norfolk. 

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90emoir0 of tbe Citoil Olat 

On the way rumors were heard that other 
Volunteer Companies had preceded us to the 
Fort and had been attacked by U. S. Marines 
from the Navy Yard and cut to pieces. On 
arrival it was found that the rumors were 
false. Several Companies had reached the 
Fort and were removing ammunition; that 
being a Magazine of the U. S. Navy. During 
the rest of that night and all the next day, the 
work of removing the ammunition went on. 
There were some alarms during the day, but 
no effort was made by the U. S. officers to 
stop the work. There were several U. S. 
Ships at the Navy Yard, one mile distant, and 
one shell dropped near the Fort, I believe, 
would have caused a cessation of the work, 
because it might have blown up the whole 
Fort, by setting fire to the ammunition. By 
sunset the large stock of powder and shell had 
been hauled back one mile and piled on the 
land of Mr. Robert Searles. 

The men of our Company had now been 
at work about twenty hours and were much 
fatigued, so they were marched back to the 
Armory; when they arrived there the U. S. 
Navy Yard had been abandoned by the Ships, 
'including the "Pawnee," which arrived dur- 
ing the afternoon, and was in flames. The 
Company remained on duty at the Armory 
until early in the month of May. Meantime 
Lieut. Williamson was promoted to be Cap- 
tain, and I to be Lieutenant, by election. It 
was ordered to Craney Island. Lieut. W. H. 
Taylor was called to the Staff of General R. 
E. Lee, and E. M. Hardy and Duncan Rob- 
ertson elected Lieutenants. 

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The garrison of Craney Island was rein- 
forced from time to time until the force 
reached the total of nine hundred men. 
Earth works were raised along the front of 
the Island and cannon from the Navy Yard 
mounted. Company "F" held the right of the 
right of the line, at the point where stood an 
old block house built of brick and the earth 
works enclosed the space. Captain Charles 
Dimmock, of the Engineer Corps, was in 
charge of the construction of the earth works 
and Captain H. Williamson was detailed to 
assist him. Our first commanding officer was 
Col. Richardson, an appointee of Governor 
Letcher. Captain Wm. McBlair and Lieut. 
Commander Fitzgerald of the Navy were also 
on duty there. I was detailed as Adjutant of 
the Post. Afterwards Col. Richardson was 
ordered to other duty and Col. F. H. Smith, 
of the Virginia Military Institute, was placed 
in command. He was accompanied by Lieut. 
Col Preston and Major S. Crutchfield. At 
my request I was relieved from the position 
of Adjutant and returned to duty with Com- 
pany "F," which I commanded (the Captain 
having been detailed as stated), until the 
month of May in the year 1862. Dr. H. M. 
Nash was the Surgeon of the Command. The 
Command was drilled regularly as Infantry 
and also at the Naval Guns. The young 
ladies of Norfolk sent a deputation to the 
Island and presented Company "F'' with a 
very handsome silk Confederate States Flag, 
which was received with a most agreeable 
but solemn ceremony. The Enemy occupied 
Fort Monroe and Newport News, and had 

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several Men-of-War at each place. Meantime 
the force at Norfolk and vicinity was or- 
ganized into Regiments and Brigades. Gen- 
eral Benjamin Huger commanded the Depart- 
ment and Generals Blanchard and Mahone 
the Brigades. In that organization our Com- 
pany became Company "G" of the 6th Vir- 
ginia Infantry. Many times a small steamer 
came from Old Point displaying a flag of truce 
and our Commanding Officer would send a 
barge with an officer to meet the same. The 
Steamboat William Selden, Captain T. S. 
Southgate, made two regular trips from Nor- 
folk to the Island. Sometimes she was re- 
placed by the Kahukee, Captain Babel Tay- 
lor. One morning in the fall Lieut. Duncan 
Robertson and I went to the wharf on the 
arrival of the William Selden. As the lines 
were cast off for her departure, a newsboy 
named Bremmer made a leap to reach the 
deck of the boat, but missed and fell into the 
water at the end of the pier. The water was 
deep and he sank. A heaving line was thrown 
to him as he rose, but he failed to get it ; then 
several pieces of cord wood. He sank out of 
sight twice. I could not bear seeing the youth 
drown, so I removed my uniform coat and 
plunged into the water with the purpose of 
taking the loose end of the heavy line and 
passing it to him. A man on the deck of the 
steamer held one end of the line, but the 
steamer drifted away. I swam to the loose 
end, then turned and swam to the boy who 
was struggling to keep above the surface of 
the water with a stick of wood, which was 
not enough to sustain him. I placed the line 

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in his hands and it sustained him, then I 
swam to the side of the steamer and seized 
the loop of one of her large lines hanging 
from her sides. Thus young Bremmer and 
myself were supported by lines and we re- 
mained in that position until a small boat was 
rowed from the shore and took us both to the 
Island. The water was very cold, so I pro- 
ceeded at once to my quarters and remained 
in bed for several hours and there were no 
bad results from my plunge. Bremmer's 
father was a member of the Company com- 
manded by Captain Wilbern and was a tailor 
by trade. He was grateful for what I had 
done for his young son and took my clothes 
and dried and pressed them nicely. In the 
afternoon a flag of truce boat was sighted and 
I received an order to go out in the barge to 
meet it. I promptly obeyed the order and 
had the pleasure of escorting three ladies to 
Norfolk who had been permitted to pass 
through the lines. They were Mrs. General 
Wm. Martin, Mrs. C. M. Fry, formerly Miss 
Leigh, daughter of Benj. Watkins Leigh, of 
Virginia, and Mrs. Harvey, wife of an officer 
of the English AiTny, who was in the Fed- 
eral Service and was among the missing at the 
Battle of Balls' Bluff near Leesburg, Va. 
Mrs. Harvey was permitted to pass through 
the lines in search of her husband. I have 
never heard whether she found him. 

By that flag of truce, also came the news 
of the seizure of Mason and Slidell on their 
way to Europe to represent the Confederate 
States. They had taken passage at Havana on 
an English Passenger Ship which was inter- 

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cepted by a United States Man-of-War and 
Messrs. Mason and Slidell taken as prisoners. 

Towards the end of the year Colonel Smith 
was relieved and went back to the Virginia 
Military Institute, accompanied by Lieut. Col. 
Preston; Major Crutchfield was transferred to 
a regiment serving in the Western part of Vir- 
ginia. Lieut. Col. J. A. DeLagnel, the hero of 
the battle of Rich Mountain, just released 
from Fort LaFayette, New York Harbor, as- 
sumed command and Major Mark Hardin, 
from the Stonewall Brigade, took the place of 
Major S. Crutchfield. Col. DeLagnel had 
served in the 2nd Arfcillery of the U. S. Army 
and was a very accomplished officer and was 
highly esteemed by the garrison. That garri- 
son was fortunate to have had so many excel- 
lent superior officers. 

I turn aside for a moment from my own 
recollections to relate a story told me by Col. 
DeLagnel. When hostilities commenced he 
was on duty at the U. S. Arsenal at Fayette- 
ville, N. C. The Arsenal was surrounded by 
a large force of North Carolina Soldiers and 
its surrender demanded. As at was manifestly 
useless to try to defend the place garrisoned 
by one Company, the Commanding Officer 
agreed to surrender, provided he would be 
permitted to march his Company away with 
their arms and baggage. Colors flying and 
drums beating, the Company was marched to 
the Steamboat landing and proceeded to the 
mouth of the Cape Fear River, and embarked 
on a schooner for New York City. They 
reached that place in due time, and then took 
a train for Washington, D. C. There the 

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9@emoir0 of tfte CiDil max 

Company was turned over to the U. S. Au- 
thorities and DeLagnel handed in his resigna- 
tion. His duty performed, he went tO' the 
Paymaster to settle his account, which was 
done, but to pay the balance due him up to 
that date, the Paymaster said he was ordered 
to give a draft on the funds which the U. S. 
Government had in the hands of the Officer 
of the Treasury at Charleston, S. C. The 
State of South Carolina having seceded, what- 
ever funds had been there when hostilities 
commenced, were then held by the Confeder- 
ate States Government. As he knew the draft 
would not be honored, DeLagnel refused to 
accept it. The balance remained to his credit 
until about 1886, when after the lapse of so 
many years it was finally recovered. 

When Major Crutchfield left the Island 
Col. Smith directed an escort of two Com- 
panies to go to Norfolk with him. Captaiin 
R. C. Taylor's Company and our own formed 
the escort. That was the last time these Com- 
panies, as organizations, visited their native 
city. 

In our Company, now Company "G" 6th 
Virginia Infantry, there were many of the 
dear friends of my youth. As it was com- 
posed of young men of intelligence, many of 
the best families of Norfolk, besides many 
who came from other parts of the State, a 
great many were eagerly sought for to fill 
responsible positions in the Confederate Army. 
My friend, John H. Sharp, was appointed 
Captain and Commissary of Subsistence. He 
accepted at first, but afterwards decided not 
to hold the position, and at his request my 

[12] 



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older brother, George Chamberlaine, was ap- 
pointed in his place and was ordered to the 
Post of Craney Island. My friend, Theo- 
derick A. Williams, was appointed Sergeant 
Major of the regiment, and as the Colonel, 
Wm. Mahone, and most of the companies 
were stationed at an entrenched camp near 
Norfolk, he reported at that Camp. There 
were four brothers of the Urquhart family 
from Southampton Co., F. M. Whitehurst, 
from Princess Anne Co., two brothers, Robin- 
son, from Washington, D. C, also two 
brothers of the Todd family, Henry and 
George M., I. Barry King and others. On 
the 8th of March, 1862, the "Iron Clad Vir- 
ginia," rebuilt from the U. S. Ship "Mem- 
mac," came down from the Navy Yard and 
passed our Fort on the way to Newport News. 
Colonel DeLagnel ordered the Command to 
Arms. The guns were manned and the re- 
sult of the attack on the shjps at Newport 
News was awaited with anxiety and excite- 
ment. Newport News, seven miles distant, 
is in plain sight of Craney Island, and the 
weather was perfectly clear. From our po- 
sitions at our guns we could see all the maneu- 
vers; could see the smoke of the guns, the 
Slinking of the "Cumberland," the arrival of 
two Confederate Steamships from Richmond, 
and the attack on the "Congress." The "Vir- 
ginia" was accompanied by the small armed 
ship "Beaufort" and several armed tug boats, 
all of which participated in the engagement. 
We saw the "Congress" hoist sails and at- 
tempt to slip away, but she ran aground near 
Newport News. After awhile we could see 

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that she was on fire and was still burning, 
when fatigued by the excitement of the day, we 
fell asleep. We could see several of the U. 
S. Ships start towards Newport News to the 
aid of the ''Congress." All, after having pro- 
ceeded a short distance, returned to Old Point, 
except the_ "Minnesota," which ship ran 
aground about three miles and a half from 
Newport News, that is, about half way from 
Old Point. At dusk the Confederate ships 
anchored off Sewall's Point. Next morning, 
the 9th, we were up early and I was told the 
Magazine of the "Congress" exploded about 
4.00 A. M., but it did not wake me. Soon 
after daylight the "Virginia" proceeded to at- 
tack the "Minnesota," still aground. I saw a 
shell strike a tug boat lying alongside of the 
"Minnesota," and an escape of steam. Then 
the "Monitor" appeared and an engagement 
followed between the "Viirginia" and the 
"Monitor" which lasted several hours. We 
could see the shots rebound from the iron- 
sides of both vessels. The engagement ceased, 
but we could not see well enough to determine 
the reason, as both vessels were constantly 
changing positions. It was said the "Moni- 
tor" moved into shoal water, where the "Vir- 
ginia" with her deep draft of water could not 
follow. That afternoon the Confederate Ships 
went up to the Navy Yard. Some weeks 
after the "Virginia" accompanied by several 
small armed steamers, passed down towards 
Old Point and captured a transport. 

The U. S. Vessels did not show any dis- 
position to engage the Confederate Ships and 
the latter returned to the Navy Yard. In the 

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spring of 1862, the Army of the Potomac 
was transferred from its line of defenses near 
Alexandria to a point on the Virginia Penin- 
sula near York Town and commenced the 
seige of that place. On our side the regiments 
were reorganized. Elections were held ac- 
cording to the law in the Companies for Cap- 
tain and Lieutenants, and then the Company 
officers were convened to elect Field Officers. 
H. Williamson was re-elected Captatin and E. 
M. Hardy, Duncan Robertson, and John T. 
Lester, Lieutenants of Company ''G." When 
the Company Officers of the regiment were 
convened for the election of Field Officers, 
Major George T. Rogers was elected Colonel, 
Captain H. Williamson Lieut. Colonel, and 
Captain Robert B. Taylor, Major, of the 6th 
Virginia Regiment of Infantry. 

Early 'in May, 1862, the Confederate troops 
were withdrawn from Norfolk and its vicin- 
ity and proceeded to Petersburg, Va. Early 
one morning my colored servant called at my 
father's house to inform me that the Federal 
forces were advancing on the City and the 
Confederate troops were leaving. I was not 
in the service at that time, having in miind 
the intention of becoming the Adjutant of a 
new Regiment, and in case that was not at- 
tained, to attach, myself to a Battery of Light 
Artillery to be raised by Major S. Crutchfield, 
who wished me to take the place of First 
Sergeant. Neither of those plans was car- 
ried out. A new Act of Congress forestalled 
the organization of the new Regiment and 
Major Crutchfield was appointed to a position 
on the Staff of Major General (Stonewall) 

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Jackson. I went to Petersburg and lived at 
the Bolingbrooke Hotel two weeks, when I 
received a message from Captain Hardy that 
there was a vacant Lieutenancy in Company 
''G" and the Company desired me to fill it. 
I consented to the proposition and was duly 
elected and reported for duty to Col. Rogers 
at Drewry's Bluff, where Mahone's Brigade 
was in Camp. There the Brigade was on out- 
post duty below Fort Darling, which position 
was menaced by the Federal Gunboats. 
Towards the end of May the 6th Regiment 
was sent across the James River and attached 
to General Wise's Command', which was 
guarding the right flank of the Army under 
Gen. Jos. E. Johnson. On the 30th of May 
we saw Presiident Davis and Gen. Jos. E. 
Johnson near our Camp examining the posi- 
tion. That night a very severe thunder storm 
came up with wind and a deluge of rain. 
Many tents were blown down and the camp 
flooded. The lightning was very sharp and 
the clouds hung over us for several hours. 
The Battle of Seven Pines occurred the next 
day. Seven Pines ds about seven miles from 
Chapin's Bluff, where the 6th Virginia Regi- 
ment was at that time. The noise of that bat- 
tle did not reach us. The other part of the 
Brigade was marched with Huger's Division 
to Seven Pines and was engaged on the sec- 
ond day of the battle — June 1st. 



[16] 



CHAPTER II. 

Battles Near Richmond. 

A few days afterwards some Federal Gun- 
boats were seen conning up the river. General 
Wise's Command was deployed and marched 
in line of battle down the river towards them. 
The country is clear of trees, so each side 
could see the other. The Gunboats, however, 
did not fire a shot and soon withdrew and our 
command returned to Camp. A fe\v days after 
the Regiment was ordered to rejoin the Bri- 
gade and marched to the outskirts of Rich- 
mond ; then, by the Charles City Road, to the 
line of the Army commanded by General R. 
E. Lee, who succeeded General Jos. E. John- 
son, who had been seriously wounded at the 
battle on the 31st of May. We were then in 
front of the Army of the Potomac under the 
Federal General Geo. B. McClellan. During 
our stay of several weeks at that position, the 
Regiment was frequently marched to the 
front, when the Brigade skirmished with the 
Enemy's outposts. Company "G" performed 
its tour of picket duty. On the 18th of June, 
in the afternoon, a report came to the Briga- 
dier-General that a Federal Regiment was on 
the Charles City Road, marching towards our 
line. He ordered the 41st Virginia to take 
an old road running parallel nearly to the 
main road, and the first battalion of the 6th 
Virginia to proceed by a similar road on the 
south of the main road. The plan was to sur- 
round the Federal Regiment and capture or 
defeat it. Company "G" was in the first bat- 

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talion. The troops started and felt their way 
slowly towards the enemy's front. They had 
to pass through the advanced line of pickets. 
The leading Company of our Battalion had 
originally the name of Manchester Grays and 
wore jackets and light blue trousers. One of 
the advanced pickets saw one of the Grays 
and taking him for a Federal soldier, fired at 
and wounded him severely. That caused some 
delay and finally, after advancing two miles, 
a shot was fired; from where, no one knew 
at the time, which wounded two men of our 
Company, Privates Wise and Fletcher. We 
were ordered to lie down. Fletcher was 
alongside of me. I bound up his wound with 
my pocket handkerchief — he was struck on 
the knee. After lying down a few moments, 
no other shot being fired, we were ordered to 
form line. As we got up, I saw following our 
Battalion, the 2nd Battalion, led by Major 
R. B, Taylor, quite near us and just beyond 
a slight elbow in the road. The main Charles 
City Road was supposed to be a very short 
distance to our left, and the Federal Regiment 
on that road. As soon as we rose to our feet 
a tremendous discharge of musketry was 
poured into us. We laid down quickly, and 
the firing was kept up for several minutes. 
I heard Major Taylor give the order "Fix 
Bayonets." I supposed the discharge came 
from the Federal Regiment. Some twenty- 
eight men were killed or wounded. Very 
soon afterwards we were marched slowly back 
to the Camp. The picket line was passed in 
safety — much to my surprise — for night had 
fallen at tb? tim^ of the firing. The next day 

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9iemoir0 of tfie Citiil mat 

a detail was sent to the place, the dead were 
buried and the w^ounded cared for, but to this 
day I have never heard what became of Pri- 
vate Fletcher. Wise was brought back, but 
he was slightly lamed for life. Sergeant 
Major James W. Bell was with the 2nd Bat- 
talion and lost a part of his hand. The pre- 
vailing opinion was that there was no enemy 
there and the two Battalions had fired into 
each other, and I now incline to that opinion, 
but for a long time I believed we had been 
ambushed. Whether any Federal troops were 
there or not, there was another enemy present, 
just as much to be feared; that was the lack 
of experience of our Commanding Officer. 
He was then serving his apprenticeship, 
After a year or two of practice he became a 
good General Officer, 'indeed, one of the best 
Division Generals in the Army of Northern 
Virginia. 

There was a law in force at that time, which 
allowed a soldier to be discharged upon pro- 
viding a substitute. A member of our Com- 
pany furnished a substitute and was dis- 
charged at that Camp. He left at once, but 
before he had reached the City of Richmond, 
eight miles distant, the substitute had deserted 
and I never heard anything more of him. 

On the 25th of June an alarm was sounded, 
the Regiment at once paraded under arms. 
The enemy attacked our troops on the Will- 
iamsonburg Road about one mile to our left. 
The Brigade, with the exception of one Bat- 
talion of the 6th Virginia, proceeded to at- 
tack the left of the Federal force near King's 
School House and performed good service. 

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Our Battalion, under Lieut. Col. Williamson, 
was marched on the road leading to the Will- 
iamsburg Road and held in reserve. Towards 
sunset an order came for us to join in the 
6attle and we proceeded left in front. We 
passed a North Carolina Regiment, which had 
lied from the enemy and officers were trying 
to rally them. It was their first trial undei 
fire. 1 have understood that after a little 
experience, it became an excellent Regiment. 
As we went towards the field, we met strag- 
glers who said our force was cut to pieces, de- 
feated, and so on. We kept on and advanced 
rear rank in front toward the enemy, who was 
in fact retreating. We reached the advanced 
line of troops and fired a volley after them. 
Darkness was coming on, and the battle was 
soon ended. The intention of the enemy was 
said afterwards to advance their picket line. 
It took several Brigades to make the attempt 
and as they were opposed by three Brigades 
of Confederates the result was a bloody battle. 
General Lee had determined to attack 
McClellan's Army on the north side of the 
Chickahominy River on the next day, the 
26th, and a large portion of the Army 
marched on that day to Mechanicsville, about 
ten miles from our position, leaving McGru- 
ders' and Huger's Divisions to hold the en- 
trenchments which extended from the Charles 
City Road, through or near Seven Pines to the 
Chickahominy River. Opposed to those two 
Divisions was the bulk of the Federal Army. 
The force to which the 6th Virginia was at- 
tached was then on watch to protect the City 
of Richmond., while the rest of Lee's x\rmy 

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ggemoi rg of tfte Citiil mar 

crossed the Chickahominy River to fight the 
battles of Ellyson's Mill and Cold Harbor. 
It was generally supposed that our two Divi- 
sions occupied a very critical position. At 
night we could hear the music of their bands 
and much shouting. On the afternoon of the 
26th a battle was fought at Ellyson's Mill and 
on the 27th the first battle of Cold Harbor. 
Our Command was some ten miles from the 
latter place, with the Chickahominy River 
between. We passed the nights of the 26th, 
27th, and 28th of June in some anxiety, ex- 
pecting to be called to arms at any moment. 
But these three days and nights passed with- 
out any demonstration by the enemy in front 
of us. The next day, the 28th, was very hot, 
and about midday the Brigade was ordered to 
march by the Charles City Road to intercept 
the Federal Army marching towards the 
James River. About 7.00 P. M. the advance 
guard discovered Federal Troops at one of the 
crossings of White Oak Swamp. A slight 
skirmish took place, and the Federals retired 
to seek another crossing. The Brigade pro- 
ceeded down the road a little farther when, 
night having fallen, it bivouacked in the woods 
on the side of the road. Soon after a Federal 
Cavalry patrol trotted up towards our posi- 
tion. The men opened fire on the patrol and 
almost destroyed it ; a few turned and escaped. 
That was a valuable lesson to us, who were 
then without experience. That patrol should 
have been surrounded and captured. In the 
first place there was no use shooting their 
men. In the second, valuable 'information of 
the enemy's movements might have been ob- 
[21] 



emoiris of tfte CitJil Mlar 



tained. , There was no further excitement that 
(l^ night. ^The next morning the Adjutant of the 
\ ^^ ^n 6th Virginia was reported sick and I was sent 
y.^ ^ for to take his place, and the 6th Virginia 
"^ was the advance guard. The Colonel was 

also taken sick and Lieut. Col. Williamson 
commanded the Regiment. After proceeding 
a mile or two we came to a swamp which the 
road crossed; in crossing the little bridge a 
shot was fired by a vidette of the enemy. We 
pushed across and found the road obstructed 
by huge trees, which had been cut down and 
fallen across. Farther on other pine trees were 
found across the road, then more. The Regi- 
ment was deployed on the right of the road 
and advanced, bayonets charged. On the left 
of the road the 49th Virginia, Col. Wm. 
Smith, advanced in the same way. After 
passing four obstructions Col. Williamson 
sent me to inform General Mahone of the 
progress made. I found him sitting on a tree 
at the first obstruction. He said, very well, 
tell the Colonel to go on. About that time 
Captain Carter Williams went forward to re- 
connoiter and, bringing back a drum, said 
he had not seen any enemy in front. We had 
been passing through woods, but now on the 
left of us was an open field called Brackett's 
Field; the right of the road was wooded. A 
portion of Moorman's Battery was brought 
up, going around the obstruction, and went 
into battery in the field near the road and 
opened fire. Captain Williams had not seen the 
enemy, but they were very near, lying down 
in line of battle, with two batteries ready for 
action, which replied to Moorman's guns im- 

[22] 



emoir0 of tbe CitJil JKBat 



mediately. From what I have read since I 
believe they were Upton's and Hexamer's bat- 
teries, and they had a part of another, making 
fourteen guns. Moorman's two guns were 
soon withdrawn, badly damaged, and the fir- 
ing from those batteries was continued for an 
hour or more. Another Regiment was 
brought up and the Confederate Infantry laid 
there under that terrific fire without making 
any movement, losing many men. When the 
firing slackened a slight change was made in 
the position of the 6th Virginia, it was drawn 
back a little; then darkness came and firing 
ceased, j Being young I did not know any- 
thing about the plans of the Generals, but sup- 
posed that our Command alone was con- 
fronted by the whole Federal Army. The 
facts were, as I have since learned, that Gen- 
eral Thos. J. Jackson's troops were at the 
crossing of White Oak Swamp, not much 
more than one mile to our left, and General 
Longstreet, with his own and General A. P. 
Hill's division, were two or three miles to 
our right. The question arises, is it good 
policy to keep the Field and Company Offi- 
cers in perfect ignorance of the plans and of 
the whereabouts of the other parts of the 
Army. After coming in contact with the 
enemy, had our officers and men known that 
Jackson and Longstreet with Hill were so 
near, that knowledge would have 'inspired 
them with as much courage to enter into the 
work before them as a reinforcement of thou- 
sands of men. Then, instead of two little 
guns, we ought to have brought up two full 
batteries and the Infantry filed off to the 

[23] 



emoir0 of tfie CitJil Mlar 



right and joined to Longstreet's line. I have 
no right, and do not mean, to criticize any 
one. It seems to me now that a numerous 
staff was needed to keep the Commanding 
General posted as to the movements of the 
different columns and to keep the Com- 
manders of the different columns informed of 
the movements of each other, to ensure co- 
operation. Huger's Division remained in that 
position during the night and started early 
next morning. The Federal Army had moved 
during the night. We soon reached the posi- 
tion evacuated by them, passing on the road 
dead and wounded soldiers, articles of equip- 
ment, including some breastplates. We soon 
passed a battery of captured guns, as our po- 
sition the afternoon before was not over two 
miles from the scene of Longstreet's and A. P. 
Hill's battle. The weather was very hot, it 
was July 1st, by noon we arrived at Malvern 
H'ill and formed line of battle under the 
northern slope of that hill ; occasionally a shell 
passed over our heads. The 6th Virginia was 
leading the Brigade and, as I was acting Ad- 
jutant, I was near the head of the column. 
Between two and three o'clock Gen. Magruder 
came to the right of the line, where came also 
Generals Mahone, Armstead and Ransom. 
General Magruder wore a straw hat and ap- 
peared to be warm, but was lively and vigor- 
ous and gave his orders to the Generals with 
a clear, firm voice. "General Mahone's Brig- 
ade will form on the right. General Arm- 
stead's the center, and General R. Ransom's 
the left, and charge the enemy's position." 
General Mahone then lead the way and the 

[24] 



^emoir0 of tfte CitJil SBat 



Brigade filed along the west side of the hill 
As we ascended we saw the valley to our 
right, it had been sowed in wheat, which had 
been cut and the shucks of wheat stacked at 
regular intervals, which sheltered the enemy's 
skirmishers, who, seeing our advance, began 
to fire on us. I was near General Mahone 
Vvdien he took his binocular and examined the 
field and spoke of seeing the skirmishers. 
When the head of the column reached the 
summit Lieut. Col. Williamson gave the com- 
mand, ''On the right, by file, into line." The 
first three Companies executed the movement, 
advanced the proper distance, and laid down, 
for at that moment the Federal Batteries, some 
five or six hundred yards in front, opened a 
furious fire. We could not see where the rest 
of the 6th Regiment went, a part of the 16th 
Virginia took position a little to our right. 
Lieut. Col. Williamson did not give, in my 
hearing, any order to advance, but I believe 
he went ahead -himself. We could see the 
Federal Batteries' over sixty guns in front, 
and we could see the troops on each side near 
us, but undulations of the ground and the 
growth of the high weeds and bushes pre- 
vented us from seeing where our other Com- 
panies had gone. The first three Companies, 
having obeyed the order given, lay there 
awaiting further orders. I insisted to them, 
and to the 16th Virginia, that I thought we 
should charge the Federal Battery, but I had 
no authority, and no one seemed to agree with 
me. So there we lay until nine o'clock at 
night, under that terrific cannonading. Some 
of the shells came from the Gunboats lying in 

[25] 



Q^emoirs! of tfte CitiU Wiat 

the James River, which was in sight. A man 
was shot alongside of me. I saw Armstead's 
Brigade advance to our left, remember dis- 
tinctly seeing the 9th Virginia advancing in 
line. Adjutant J. "A. Crocker was in front 
""with his sword raised — their loss was consid- 
erable, Crocker himself being wounded. They 
were soon out of sight. The charge was a 
brilliant one, but was a failure, for our troops 
were repulsed, and our loss in officers and 
men was very large. After dusk we could see 
the shots fired by the Federal Infantry; they 
looked like fireflies. About nine o'clock Cap- 
tain Carter Williams assumed command of 
that portion of the 6th Virginia and marched 
it off the hill, about five hundreds yards, to a 
barn in the field, where we had first formed. 
I slept near Charles McCourt of Company 
"G" and Private Smith of Wilbern's Com- 
pany, both of whom were shot in the breast. 
The ball went clear through McCourt, but he 
survived. Smith's wound was not serious. 
While ascending the hill, Wm. McLane and 
David Myrick were both shot in the knee — 
they died in a few days. They were members 
of Company ''G." It rained hard that night 
and the next day. The Federal Army re- 
pulsed the attack of the Confederate Army, 
and inflicted upon it a heavy loss, but had 
also sustained a serious loss, and retreated 
during the night to Harrison's Landing on 
the James River. Our Division remained 
near Malvern Hill a few days, then proceeded 
to the south side of the James River and en- 
camped near Falling Creek. While at that 
Camp Regimental Commanders were directed 

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e©emoir0 of tfte Citiil MJar 



to select each three Lieutenants to go in 
search of men who had been assigned from 
the MiHtia while at Norfolk to different Regi- 
ments, had been taken sick while there, and 
at the evacuation of that part of the State, 
were permitted to go to their homes, promis- 
ing to return as soon as they were able. 
Lieutenants Crawley, Happer and myself were 
detailed from the 6th Virginia and ordered 
to proceed to Franklin and Patrick Counties. 
General Huger was relieved from Comrnand 
of the Division and General R. H. Anderson 
was sent in his place. 



[271 



CHAPTER III. 

It was late in Jul}^ when the three Lieuten- 
ants arrived at Rocky Mount, the County 
seat of FrankHn. We had great difficulty in 
finding the absentees, as they were scattered 
in different parts of that mountainous country 
and would hide in the thickets. They had 
very little relish for service in the Army. 
Most of the good men of that section had 
volunteered at the beginning of the War. 
These whom we sought had been drafted 
when the Militia was called out. After see- 
ing a few and directing them to report on a 
certain day at the railroad depot at Big Lick, 
twenty-eight miles from Rocky Mount, I was 
selected to meet and conduct them to Rich- 
mond. I went to the depot; not one of them 
appeared. We had no means of taking care 
of them, hence had to rely on their promise 
to report. I returned to Rocky Mount. That 
little village was then quite inaccessible, the 
roads leading to it were bad, and it was con- 
sidered a good point for refugees from the 
theater of the War. Ex-Governor Henry A. 
Wise had rented a commodious and comfort- 
able house there for his family, while he com- 
manded a Brigade in the western part of the 
State. His sons, Henry A. and John S., then 
young, were there. The former v;as a stu- 
dent of Divinity; the latter, a youth of about 
sixteen, spent a good deal of his time at our 
quarters. We found him very agreeable and 
interesting. Hughes Dillard, a prominent law- 
yer, lived in a very pretty cottage on the main 
street opposite to our quarters. John S. Wise 

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^emair0 of tfte CiUil JKBat 



knew the family very well and invited me to 
go with him to make a call. I accepted and 
found Mr. Dillard, his wife, and three daugh- 
ters, very charming people. The young ladies 
were Miss Bettie, Miss Mattie, and Miss Pat- 
tie. There were also three young sons. Miss 
Mattie pleased me very much and when 
they left one morning early for Henry Coun- 
ty, where they intended to spend the balance 
of' the season, I found Rocky Mount a rather 
lonesome place. About that time also came 
the news of Jackson's movement against 
Pope's Army in Culpepper County and then 
the evacuation of the James River Peninsula 
by McClellan's Army, and I determined to 
apply for an order to return to my Regiment. 
The' request was granted and I bid adieu to 
my two comrades,' and set out for Richmond. 
By the same conveyance John S. Wise left to 
enter as a cadet at the Virginia Military In- 
stitute at Lexington, Va. 

I arrived in due time at Richmond and, 
after making some necessary purchases, I took 
the railroad train for Rapidan Station on the 
road to Alexandria. We arrived in the after- 
noon. The railroad from that point to Man- 
assas was not in running order. The two 
Armies had been disputing for its use and it 
was badly torn up. General Lee's Army, after 
driving Pope's Army back to the intrenchment 
near Washington, had crossed the Potomac 
and \w^ in Maryland. An order was issued 
for officers and men returning to the Army 
of General Lee, then known as the Army of 
Northern Virginia, to proceed to Winchester 
and await further orders. I left my valise 
[29] 



emoir0 of tbt Cit3il mat 



with other baggage piled there on the bank of 
the river, and drew rations, consisting of raw, 
bacon, cooked lamb, and bread. When I met 
Lieut. Lewis White, of the Cavalry, as we 
had to walk to Winchester about seventy 
miles, he proposed that we should make the 
journey together. I accepted and found him 
a very agreeable companion. It took us four 
days to make the march. The first day we 
walked along the railroad to Culpepper Court 
House, meeting on the way a good many Fed- 
eral prisoners, some with red Zouave trousers. 
It seemed very queer, we passed close to them, 
neither side made any remarks. We learned 
afterwards that they were permitted to go that 
way as prisoners under parole to report them- 
selves to the authorities at Richmond. Some- 
times we would find Army wagons going in 
our direction and would get them to carry us 
a few miles. At night we stopped with 
friendly country people. We crossed the Blue 
Ridge at Chester Gap and spent one night at 
Front Royal. On the fourth afternoon we ar- 
rived at Parkin's Mill, five miles from Win- 
chester, about the 10th of September. There 
were several attractive young ladies at the 
Parkin's House. After resting, I wished to 
push on to Winchester, but I could not in- 
duce my companion to leave Parkin's Mill, so 
I went alone to our destination and never saw 
my traveling companion any more until after 
the close of the War. Since then we have 
been very good friends. He was and still 
is a very fine fellow, and a worthy citizen of 
Norfolk. 



[30] 



CHAPTER IV. 

Sharpsburg. 

Arriving at dusk, I felt very forlorn in 
Winchester, but succeeded in finding a very 
nice boarding house just above Taylor's Hotel, 
where I remained until the morning of the 
16th, when an order was published for officers 
and men to push on towards Harper's Ferry 
and join their Commands. Lieut. Col. Will- 
iamson came to the boarding house while I 
was there, so on the morning of the 16th 
we set out for the Army. We found the 6th 
Virginia near Hall Town within a few miles 
of Harper's Ferry, about half past five in the 
afternoon. Captain John R. Ludlow was in 
command. Lieut. Col. Williamson assumed 
command and before darkness came on, the 
Brigade was marched off towards Sheppards- 
town. The road was narrow, the country 
wooded, and the night very dark. Col. Will- 
iamson tied a white handkerchief, so that it 
would hang below his neck, to guide the col- 
umns, but he lost his way, or fell out from 
fatigue, I do not know which. The column 
arrived at daylight near Sheppardstown and, 
after a short Vest, was put in motion for the 
ford, by which it crossed the Potomac. Ad- 
jutant-General Robertson Taylor, of the 
Brigade, offered to take me over the river be- 
hind him. I accepted and thus got across 
without getting wet. We had very little idea 
of where the rest of the Army of Northern 
Virginia was, and no idea at all as to the 
whereabouts of the Army of the Potomac, 
then commanded again by General McClellan. 

[31] 



^emoir0 of tfie Cit3il mat 

We knew that Harper's Ferry had been cap- 
tured on the 15th, so after reaching the Mary- 
land shore, and hearing two cannon shots, I 
reahzed that we were approaching a field of 
battle, and I said to myself, "Goodness, are 
we going to fight a battle here with our backs 
to this river?" That proved to be true, for 
it was the 17th day of September, 1862, and 
the battle of Sharpsburg had commenced. 
The 6th Regiment had lost quite a consider- 
able number of its men on the Charles City 
Road, at the Battle of Bracket's Field, at Mal- 
vern Hill, at second Manassas, and Cramp- 
ton's Gap. Many had fallen out of the ranks 
during the night from fatigue and sore feet, 
so when we halted in the rear of the town of 
Sharpsburg, in a field on the north side of the 
main street, the Brigade mustered only eighty- 
two officers andi men. General Mahone had 
been wounded at Second Manassas and the 
Brigade was commanded by Lieut. Col. Par- 
ham of the 41st Regiment. Captain Ludlow 
was the senior officer present with the 6th 
Virginia. Captain Charles W. Wilson was 
present and many other officers, including 
Lieut. Duncan Robertson and myself. The 
proportion of officers was entirely too large 
for the number of men bearing muskets. 
Pryor's Brigade was wath us, but it also was 
very much reduced in numbers. After resting 
about one-half an hour' General Pryor rode 
up and assumed command and ordered the 
column forward. It passed to the west of 
Sharpsburg and advanced across the fields 
towards Piper's farm. As soon as this body 
of about three hundred troops was seen by 

[32] 



^emoir0 of tfte Cit3il mat 



the Federals, a tremendous fire of artillery 
was directed against it. It proceeded by file 
at double quick step, crossed the Hagerstown 
Turnpike about one-half a mile south of the 
Dunker Church, entered Piper's field and 
stopped at the west side of a large apple or- 
chard, but had been almost scattered by the 
heavy fire. I estimated that it was nearly ten 
o'clock A. M. There were but few of Ma- 
hone's Brigade to be seen. Lieut. Duncan 
Robertson was wounded while we were near 
Piper's barn. He was alongside of me; I 
stopped a moment, saw that he was shot m 
the foot, which bled profusely. I kept on; he 
crawled into the barn, where there were al- 
ready many wounded. After resting a few 
moments, I went into the orchard and endeav- 
ored to rally enough of the 6th, whose uni- 
forms I recognized, to form a small squad to 
push farther, the front line of battle was just 
ahead, Iving in the sunken road, now called 
Bloody Lane. While doing so, Lieut. Col 
Parham beckoned me to come to him. I did 
so • he said, "'Lieutenant, go back a little, try 
and find General R. H. Anderson, explain to 
him the situation and ask for reinforcements. 
I turned towards Hagerstown Turnpike and 
on reaching it I asked an ofiicer the where- 
abouts of General Anderson. He replied he 
had been w^ounded. I looked then towards 
the front and saw our troops falling back; 
they were coming across the field and down 
Piper's Lane. The officers present then com- 
menced to rally the men and I joined them. 
I did not see any of our men of the 6th Vir- 
ginia, all were strangers, but a line was 
[33] 



emoir0 of tfte CitJil MJat 



formed along the Turnpike. Not very for- 
midable at first, but was strengthened from 
moment to moment. Asking a young soldier to 
stop, he replied, "I have been shot in the 
hand." I said, ''We must whip them to-day. 
Give me your gun, I will load it." I was 
thinking how near our lines were to the Po- 
tomac River. I took his musket and loaded it 
and as I returned it to him, he was wounded 
again, and he reproached me, saying, ''Ah, if 
you had not stopped me." There was a con- 
fused crowd at that place, opposite to the en- 
trance to Piper's Lane, but the efforts of the 
officers succeeded in forming a line along the 
eastern side of the Turnpike; different com- 
mands were mixed. I did not recognize there 
any of the 6th Virginia. Looking down the 
Turnpike I saw a gun standing on one side. 
There was no soldier with it and but one 
horse hitched to the limber and wounded be- 
sides. I requested the assistance of four In- 
fantry soldiers near me, and we drew the gun 
to the entrance of Pipe's Lane and loaded it. 
The enemy's skirmishers were crossing the 
lane near Piper's dwelling. Just at that mo- 
ment Major Fairfax, of General Longstreet's 
staff, stopped there and dismounted. I asked 
him if we should fire. He said yes and I 
handed the lanyard to him. He pulled it and 
the shell went bounding down the lane by 
Piper's house. He mounted and rode away. 
Then some voices were heard saying, "Over 
here is the place for that gun" and several 
more Infantry soldiers came and the gun was 
drawn to the top of the next rise in the Turn- 
pike about fifty yards. From that point could 

[34] 



^tmoit^ of tfte CitJil mat 

be seen the Dunker Church, and in the field 
in front of it were Hnes of the Federals ad- 
vancing towards the Church. Quite a num- 
ber participated in getting the gun in position 
and aiming it at the advancing lines. When 
it was fired the shell bounded along some dis- 
tance in front of those lines. It was a very 
poor shot. After that shot the enemy's artil- 
lery was directed in that position. The Colonel 
of the 14th North Carolina Regiment was 
there, as well as other officers, and I believe 
they were glad to have the gun moved, for 
when I remarked, "This is not the proper 
place for it" and directed the improvised gun's 
crew to draw it back to the original position, 
no one objected. So it was taken back. In 
loading the gun, I discovered that there were 
no more friction primers in the limber chest 
and requested one of the crew to go to a Bat- 
tery on the elevation to the left and rear of 
our position and ask for a supply of primers. 
He did so and soon returned with them. It 
was none too soon, for the enemy soon ap- 
peared advancing towards our position. A 
Regiment or small Brigade of Confederates 
had been advanced from the Turnpike and 
stationed about one hundred feet east of the 
same under a slight rise in the ground and 
some outcropping rock, and their battle flag 
was waved; that movement, and the appear- 
ance of the flag encouraged the rallied men; 
before that some appeared to be demoralized. 
Between the orchard and the sunken road was 
a corn field, the stalks being from four to six 
feet in height. The enemy's line appeared ad- 
vancing through the corn about three hundred 

[35] 



9^emoir0 of tfte Citiil MJar 

yards from the Turnpike. The gun was then 
in just the right position to oppose their line ; 
three shots were fired and struck them where 
their colors were visible. Their line halted 
and fell back and was hidden by the corn. In 
a few moments they appeared again. Three 
more shots were fired with the same precision ; 
again the line disappeared. Then it advanced 
the third time, and again it received three 
more shots equally as true. As the line re- 
tired the third time, a Federal soldier turned 
around and fired deliberately at me, and his 
ball struck the ground near my feet. The 
Battery on the eminence to our left and rear 
was firing, but more to our left. The line 
that we fired at was partly in the corn field 
and extended through the west side of the 
orchard towards Piper's farm house. Our In- 
fantry line did not have occasion to fire. The 
Federal line apparently fell back to the ravine 
a little to their rear and remained quiet the 
rest of the day, so far as we could judge from 
our position. The gun was a smooth bore six- 
pounder and supposed to belong to Huger's 
Battery. That Battery had been heavily en- 
gaged early in the morning in the adjoining 
field, and had been pretty badly used by the 
Federal Artillery. It had not been able to 
take away that gun because of the great loss 
of horses. A movement of the Infantry was 
then made; the line was stretched towards the 
hill, where now is located the cemetery. It 
was quiet on that part of the line for quite a 
long time. General Longstreet came along 
the Turnpike from Sharpsburg. He stopped 
and asked where were the Battery horses. I 

[36] 



empire of tfte €i\yil mat 



told him that we had found the gun abandoned 
and had been working it against the enemy. 
He said, ''Hold on to it." I noticed that he 
was wearing slippers. He then went towards 
the left. By this time two of our Company 
"G" of the 6th had come up and joined us, 
and the temporary gun detachment had left 
with their Command, which I am quite sure 
belonged to General G. T. Anderson's Brigade 
from Georgia. George M. Todd and C. Hill 
were the men from Company ''G" who joined. 
That portion of the line, where I remained 
with the gun, was then held by Wright's 
Brigade of R. H. Anderson's Division, Col- 
onel William Gibson, of the 48th Georgia 
Regiment, being in command, who came to 
where I was standing and spoke of the situa- 
tion. It was quiet at that moment, but no 
one knew when the next blow would fall. 
The enemy could not be seen in front, be- 
cause of the corn, and the accidents of the ter- 
rain. He asked me what I thought he ought 
to do. I replied, "Advance skirmishers and 
have them ascertain what the enemy is doing." 
He ordered forward a line of skirmishers and 
the line met the 7th Maine Regiment, which, 
as I have since seen in the Official Report, had 
orders to take the eminence to our left and 
rear, where were some stacks of straw. They 
were attacked by Col. Gibson's Command, 
also by some other troops nearby, and were 
forced to return to their place in the Federal 
line with a considerable loss in killed, wounded 
and prisoners. That little affair impressed 
upon the Federals that the Confederate line 
was on the alert and ready to meet them. 

[37] 



emoit0 of tbe CitJil Mat 



Towards four o'clock — I believe — we heard 
sharp musketry to our right and soon a Bat- 
tery opened in front of our position, directed 
on the Turnpike, as I supposed, to prevent a 
movement of troops from our left to our right. 
The musketry firing was Burnside's attack. 
None of the enemy's Infantry was in sight, 
although our position there near Piper's was 
the most advanced part of our Confederate 
line at that stage of the battle. A little to 
our left the line made an angle and ran in rear 
of the Dunker Church towards the Potomac 
River. The shelling was very severe and 
lasted an hour or more. While using a field 
glass examining the fields in front, I was 
struck in the face — I felt as if some one had 
struck me with a fist. I was losing a good 
deal of blood and did not know whether or 
not I was badly wounded. George M. Todd 
accompanied me along the Turnpike to the 
town of Sharpsburg, but a short distance. At 
the corner of the first street we saw several 
Federal prisoners and asked to what command 
they belonged. They replied the 7th Maine. 
Todd then went back and I urged him to try 
and have that gun brought off. He did so 
and a detachment brought the gun ofT after 
dark. Noticing a pump in the yard of a 
house in the town, I went to it and bathed my 
wound. The flow of blood had ceased and I 
concluded it was not serious. At the pump 
was a middle-aged citizen of Sharpsburg and 
two soldiers. They said the Federal Infantry 
had advanced quite near that place a little 
while before, but had fallen back. I then 
walked on the road towards the west, passed 

[38] 



93emoir0 of tfte Citiil mat 



a group of officers standing in an open space 
near the street, which I took to be General 
Lee and staff and other Generals; kept on 
past the town and seeing a large stack of 
straw in a field, went to it, stretched myself on 
the straw and fell asleep, and did not awake 
until sunrise. Then I commenced a search for 
the Field Hospital of Anderson's Division. I 
soon found it and Surgeon Thos. B. Ward 
dressed my wound. By that time my face 
was black and blue, the bridge of my nose 
was slightly fractured, but there was nothing 
serious. He applied a large piece of absorbent 
cotton and it was to be kept moistened with 
cold water. I passed that day at the Hos- 
pital. I declined to go any further to the rear, 
but in the afternoon I was told that all 
wounded men were ordered to cross the river 
into Virginia, so I walked to the river oppo- 
site Sheppardstown. On my way I met an 
acquaintance, Lieut. Thos. H. Smith, from 
Lexington, who told me he was on his way 
to report to Col. E. P. Alexander, command- 
ing a Battalion of Artillery. I was put across 
the river and after wandering around the 
town and not being able to find any better 
lodging place, I laid down on the low porch 
of a dwelling house, and soon fell asleep. I 
av/oke at sunrise and walked out of town and 
took the road to Boteler's Ford. 

During the night the Army of Northern 
Virginia had crossed the Potomac River and 
were moving through the town. I did not 
meet any of Mahone's Brigade, but spoke to 
Lieut. John Vermillion, of the 9th Virginia, 
of Armstead's Brigade. While sitting by the 

[39] 



00emoit0 of tfte Citiil Wlax 

side of the road my brother, Captain George 
Chamberlaine, A. C. S., of the 9th Virginia, 
came along. He was mounted and had come 
up with rations for the Regiment. I joined 
him and we proceeded in search of the 
Brigade wagon train, but did not find it until 
the next day. We rode the horse turn by 
turn, and at night slept in the woods. Early 
the next morning we arrived at the little town 
called Charlestown, got breakfast at a private 
house and soon afterwards found the wagon 
train and went with it to where the Army was 
bivouacked on the Opequon River. Here 
many men who had fallen out of ranks from 
fatigue or illness rejoined and our Company 
"G" mustered ten or twelve men. I soon re- 
covered from my wound and participated in 
the daily drills. No other Company officer 
was present. After a few days the Army was 
put in motion and marched to Stephenson's 
Depot, six miles north of Winchester, where 
it remained until October 31st, then marched 
to Culpepper Court House. After halting 
that afternoon, we had the customary muster 
October 31st, which was supposed to be held 
every two months. On the march from the 
Opequon River to Stephenson's Depot I was 
detailed to command the Rear Guard. The 
main duty of the Rear Guard on such a march, 
not in presence of the enemy, is to keep the 
stragglers from dropping to the rear. It was 
a very hard task, but by close attention we 
prevented that evil on that day. When a 
column passes a spring or well, so many men 
rush to get water, some with a string of 
canteens around the neck to get water for 

[40] 



9@emoir0 of tfie CitJil mat 



their comrades. The Rear Guard had to wait 
until all were supplied and then catch up with 
the column. On arriving at the bivouack, 
entirely worn out, I dismissed the Guard to 
their respective companies. Next morning I 
was summoned to Brigade Headquarters; 
General Richard B. Garnett had been placed 
in command, and asked why I had not kept 
the Guard on duty all night. General Gar- 
nett was an amiable man and excellent officer. 
On my replying that I was not aware that 
the duty continued after the day's march was 
concluded, he said, "Very well, but another 
time you must remember that." I had not re- 
ceived any instructions of that kind from the 
Adjutant-General. I presume he thought I 
ought to have known. All passed very amic- 
ably and I always remembered that lesson. 
We remained in Camp near Culpepper Court 
House several weeks. It became very cold. 
At this time the troops were segregated; 
Brigades were formed of Regiments from the 
same States, that before were composed of 
Regiments from different States. General 
Mahone returned for duty. Our field officers 
also returned to duty and many of the men. 
I was called on to act as Adjutant at Dress 
Parade and we had again four or five hundred 
men in ranks. About the middle of November 
the Division was ordered to march to Freder- 
icksburg. The Adjutant being absent, I was 
again called on to take his place, and rode his 
horse on the march and messed at Regimental 
Headquarters. The first night we halted just 
after crossing the Rapidan River at Raccoon 
Ford. The night was dark and it rained. 

[41] 



9gemoit0 of tfte Citoil mat 

Colonel Rogers had a servant who attended 
to the horses and Major Taylor had one who 
cooked. On the Colonel's spare horse was 
carried a large piece of canvass, which was 
used for making a shelter. Three fence rails 
were placed on end and the three upper ends 
tied together as a frame and the canvass hung 
around it, like an Indian Tepee. The sabers 
and pistols were hung to one end of a rail. 
In the middle of the night the wind blew the 
tent down and the mass of sabers and pistols 
fell directly on my chest. It proved to be 
quite a shock to be awakened in that way, but 
no material damage resulted, and the tent was 
soon put up. Next day we marched to a 
camping place beyond Salem Church, not far 
from Fredericksburg. Winter was approach- 
ing and the ground was covered with snow. 
The turn came for the 6th to do picket duty 
along the Rappahannock River above the 
town. It marched to the cemetery above the 
city about dusk and relieved the Regiment on 
duty. Only the narrow river separated us 
from the pickets of the Federal Army. The 
weather was cold with the snow on the 
ground, but each one found some improvised 
shelter. Luckily there was no picket firing. 
The officers of Company "G" established 
themselves in a little house of one room which 
had been used as an office for a mill. The 
time of duty ended and we marched back to 
camp at dusk, as many troops as a Regiment, 
if seen by the enemy would have drawn the 
fire of a battery. Most of the inhabitants of 
Fredericksburg were still in their dwellings, 
but the bridge was destroyed and there was 

[42] 



e@emoir0 of tfte CiUil mat 



no communication. While on picket we sent 
one of our number into the town in search 
of food. He obtained a pot of preserves. 
During the few weeks we were in that Camp, 
a circular was distributed inviting young men 
to appear before a Board to be examined to 
ascertain their fitness for appointment as Ar- 
tillery officers for duty with the Ordnance 
Corps. Richard Walke and I discussed the 
proposition and concluded to study the Ord- 
nance Manual and appear before the Board. 
The time fixed for the examination was early 
in December and the place — a camp near the 
headquarters of General R. E. Lee on the 
road to Hamilton's Crossing. We reported 
to Lieut. Col. Broun and stood the examina- 
tion. Richard Walke was the First Sergeant 
of Company *'G." A few months afterwards 
he was appointed First Lieut, of Artillery for 
Ordnance duty, and ordered to duty on the 
staff of Brigadier-General Mahone. I never 
heard officially about my case until long after 
the close of the War, when I saw an official 
paper from the Adjutant and Inspector-Gen- 
eral's office, giving my name among those who 
passed the examination and were recom- 
mended for appointment as Second Lieuten- 
ants of Artillery for Ordnance duty. I had 
some friends in the Ordnance Corps. Among 
them John S. Tucker, who lost an arm at the 
battle of Corinth, Miss., who was appointed 
First Lieutenant and afterwards promoted to 
a Captaincy, and Fred S. Colston, a Lieutenant 
and others. In the meantime a more agree- 
able duty was offered me. 



[43] 



CHAPTER V. 

Fredericksburg. 

Early on the morning of the 11th of De- 
cember, 1862, I was awakened by the Long 
Roll. The Brigade was marched to the front 
and took its position on Taylor's Hill a little 
to the left of Marye's Heights. The Federal 
Army, under General Burnside, succeeded in 
laying several pontoon bridges across the 
river. This work occupied most of the day, 
as the Brigade of General Barksdale of the 
Confederates contested the laying of the 
bridges with the engineers and their supports. 
The next day the Federal Army of the Poto- 
mac marched across the bridges with bands 
playing and colors flying and established a line 
extending from Falmouth along the south 
bank of the Rappahannock River to Massa- 
ponax Creek. During that day our Brigade 
was exposed to a heavy fire of Artillery. I 
was assigned to the command of two Com- 
panies, whose officers were absent. A man be- 
longing to one of the Companies returned to 
the Command that day and as he came up to 
us a part of a shell cut off his canteen which 
hung from his shoulder. As the troops were 
covered by the slope of the hill, very little 
damage was done. Being quite unwell, I was 
permitted to go to the camp that night. The 
main battle occurred the next day, but no at- 
tack was made on Taylor's Hill and Mahone's 
Brigade was not called into action. The main 
assaults were made on Marye's Heights, a 
short distance to our right, and at Hamilton's 
Crossing. The Federal Army was repulsed 

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a5emoir0 of tfte CitJil mat 



with great slaughter, and after remaining one 
day in their position near the bank of the river, 
recrossed and took a position on the north 
side, as before the battle. The Light Battery, 
commanded by Captain Frank Hager, was m 
position on Taylor's Hill and was a part of 
General Mahone's Command. Upon the ap- 
plication of Captain Huger to the General for 
an officer from the Infantry, to take the place 
of an officer absent— sick — I was detailed for 
the duty and ordered to report to Captain 
Huger for service with the Field Artillery. I 
found Captain Huger to be an amiable man, a 
fine officer, and he received me as if I had been 
his brother. He had two horses and allowed 
me the use of one of them. The Federal 
Batteries were in position across the river and 
at the least sight of activity on our side, they 
seemed to have the lanyard in hand and the 
guns aimed, and a shell would come hurtling 
towards our position. This was especially the 
case with Benjamin's Battery of twenty- 
pounder Parrot gims, at that time the most 
formidable Field Artillery in use. We re- 
mained in position until the latter part of De- 
cember, at which time the greater part of the 
Artillery was ordered back about twenty-five 
miles, to go into winter quarters. We had 
the pine forests as a protection against the 
winter blasts and were near the railroad, 
"Ruther Glen Station." 

If I may be permitted to comment on the 
last two battles, I would say that I regarded 
the battle of Sharpsburg at that time, as a 
drawn battle. Our line, as originally formed, 
was forced back in some places a few hundred 

[45] 



^emoir0 of tfte CitJil Mlar 



yards, but the new positions were held against 
all assaults. That angle of the line near the 
Bloody Lane and Hagerstown Pike was never 
given up. Our Army remained in position all 
of the 18th awaiting an attack, and crossed 
the Potomac that night, ,and when the Federal 
Commander sent the 5th Army Corps in pur- 
suit, that portion of it which crossed the river 
was driven back with considerable loss, but 
after the Confederate Army returned to Vir- 
ginia the Federals claimed that it was a vic- 
tory for them. It appears that A. Lincoln, the 
President of the North, had made a vow that 
as soon as the Army of the Potomac should 
gain a victory that he would issue a procla- 
mation declaring the slaves in the Southern 
States to be free, and claiming the battle of 
Sharpsburg, or Antietam as they called it, to 
be a victory for the Federal Army, he soon 
afterwards issued such a proclamation, and 
it has been made good by subsequent events. 
But whether it was a victory for the South 
or the North, the question remains. What 
good did the South derive from the stand its 
Army made at Sharpsburg? The Confeder- 
ate Army had been in Maryland long enough 
to receive all Marylanders who wished to 
join its ranks, and at a time when its prestige 
was at its height. But very few joined; in 
fact, nearly all the men in Maryland who 
wished to take sides with the South had al- 
ready done so. Harper's Ferry with its gar- 
rison and large quantities of stores of all 
kinds, cannon and small arms, had been cap- 
tured. What else was there to be gained by 
remaining on Maryland soil? With the Army 

[46] 



emDir0 of tfte Citoil MJar 



reduced as it was by casualties before Rich- 
mond, Cedar Mountain, Second Manassas and 
Chantilly or Ox Hill, and an immense number 
of stragglers, who had been unable for dif- 
ferent reasons to keep up with the column and 
were mostly in that part of the State bounded 
by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the 
Opequon River, it seems hardly reasonable that 
it could do any more than hold its ground 
against the concentrated Federal Army of the 
Potomac, with its reinforcements. For these 
reasons it seems that it would have been better 
to have concentrated the Confederate Army 
near Charlestown. After the battle of Boones- 
boro, Longstreet and D. H. Hill fell back to 
Sharpsburg about eight miles. They were 
drawn up in line at that position all of the 
15th and 16th of September. The Federal 
Army was approaching slowly. There was a 
skirmish on our extreme left in the evening 
of the 16th. That portion of the Confeder- 
ate Army could have crossed without molesta- 
tion on the night of the 15th and reached 
Charlestown on the 16th, would have met 
General Jackson at or near Charlestown, also 
the Divisions of McLaws, Anderson, Walker 
and A. P. Hill. As it was, the troops of Gen- 
eral Jackson, McLaws, Anderson, Walker and 
A. P. Hill had to march twelve miles and ford 
the Potomac to join Longstreet and D. H. 
Hill at Sharpsburg. Some of the columns 
had two rivers to cross. It is within bounds 
to say that the Confederate Army would have 
been reinforced by twenty thousand stragglers 
had it concentrated at Charlestown. These 
men were able and willing to fight when in 

[47] 



a5emoit0 of tfte CitJil mat 



line, but foot sore and weary, they were un- 
able to march and keep up with the moving 
columns. On the 17th of September, 1862, 
at the battle of Sharpsburg, it is stated that 
General R. E. Lee's Army had in line only 
37,000 men. McClellan's Federal Army of 
the Potomac was fully twice as strong in num- 
bers. That the Confederates withstood that 
host and held their ground is wonderful. 
The battle cost the Confederates some of its 
best officers and over ten thousand men, and 
then the slaves were freed on the strength of 
what President Lincoln regarded as a vic- 
tory. Had the Confederate Army concen- 
trated at Charlestown perhaps there would not 
have been any battle before the one at Fred- 
ericksburg. At the latter place our ardor was 
somewhat cooled and the Army was drawn up 
in a fine defensive position. Our losses were 
comparatively small and the loss inflicted on 
the enemy was very great. Like the Con- 
federate Army, after the battle of Sharpsburg, 
the Federal Army remained one day on their 
original battle line, but they were protected by 
the batteries placed on the north side, where 
the banks are high and dominate the low lands 
on the south side. It is not always practicable 
to remain on the defensive, which was demon- 
strated at the battle of Chancellorsville, which 
occurred some four months later. There tac- 
tics of an entirely different character were 
necessary and our Commander-General R. E. 
Lee displayed his military talent in the most 
conspicuous manner. But let us see what hap- 
pened to the writer who is simply giving his 
personal recollections and risking occasionally 
a comment on the general movements. 

[48] 



CHAPTER VI. 

Field Artillery. 

Soon after being established in quarters for 
the winter, all of the Artillery was ordered to 
the front, because of a movement made by 
General Burnside. He threatened to cross 
the Rappahannock River at Banks Ford, six 
miles above the old position and at other 
fords. We marched over the Telegraph Road 
towards Fredericksburg and were sent to 
Banks Ford. As the movement was aban- 
doned by the Federal Commander, the Artil- 
lery was immediately ordered back to their 
winter quarters. The roads had become very 
bad, and when some twelve miles on the way 
back a snow storm set in. Huger's Battery 
was alone on the march. We bivouacked that 
night, and started early next morning for our 
winter quarters, and under ordinary circum- 
stances should have reached there by one 
o'clock P. M., but owing to the mud and 
snow, two of our guns became stalled. There 
were three guns. Captain Fluger went with 
the first and got through to the quarters by 
sunset. Lieut. Gale had one gun, and I the 
third. Lieut. Gale's gun was stalled; the road 
was narrow with quite a bank on each side. 
The third gun could not pass, the weather 
was intensely cold, the cannoneers had walked 
on, so we were compelled to leave the two 
guns at a point about five miles from the win- 
ter camp. We rode on, reported the trouble 
to Captain Huger; night had come on, so he 
sent men and horses for them early next 
morning, and the guns were brought in. The 

[49] 



99emoit0 of tfte Citiil mat 

men had built huts for themselves and man- 
aged to keep fairly comfortable; the officers 
had tents, and the horses provided with shel- 
ter of small pine trees cut down and placed in 
the form of sheds. With plenty of pine straw 
and the adjacent pine thickets, they fared very 
well. There was a long line of batteries 
there; among them the Companies of the 
Washington Artillery, Bearing's Battery, the 
Blues from Norfolk, and many others. The 
Washington Artillery men improvised a thea- 
ter and we enjoyed the performances and the 
songs. It was a fine place for winter quar- 
ters, not hilly and dry, with a running stream 
nearby. I thoroughly enjoyed the two months 
spent there. In the latter part of February, I 
received an order from the Headquarters of 
the Army, through the regular channel, to re- 
port to Colonel S. Crutchfield for duty as Ad- 
jutant of the Artillery of the 2nd Corps. 
Huger's Battery was attached to the 1st Corps, 
commanded by Lieut. General Longstreet. 
The 2nd Corps was commanded by Lieut. 
General Jackson (Stonewall) and Col. Crutch- 
field was then the Chief of Artillery of Jack- 
son's Corps. 



[50] 



CHAPTER VII. 

Service on the Artillery Staff. 

The Artillery of the 2nd Corps was then 
in winter quarters near Milford Depot and 
consisted of six battalions commanded by Col. 
J. T. Brown, Majors H. P. Jones, Thomas 
Carter, Lieut. Col. R. L. Walker, Major R. 
Snowden Andrews, and General W. W. Pen- 
dleton, Chief of Artillery of the Army of 
Northern Virginia, commanded all the Artil- 
lery of that Army then in winter quarters, 
with headquarters some ten miles distant and 
near Hanover Junction. The reorganization 
of the Artillery had been achieved during the 
winter; that is, instead of having one battery 
assigned to each Brigade of Infantry, it was 
organized into battalions of from four to six 
batteries, each battalion commanded by a Field 
Officer. When the Army started on a cam- 
paign one battalion was ordered to report to 
each Division Commander, to be under his 
immediate supervision in battle, and the other 
battalions remained under the command of 
the Chief of Artillery of the Corps to which 
it belonged, and constituted the Reserve Ar- 
tillery of the Corps, and on its arrival on the 
battlefield received its orders from the Corps 
Commander. The Chief of Artillery of the 
Corps had a staff consisting of Adjutant, 
afterwards Adjutant-General, a Major of the 
Quartermaster's Department, a Major of the 
Commissary Department and an Ordnance 
Officer and the Battalions were provided for 
by those Supply Officers. As soon as practi- 
cable, after receiving my order, I bade my 

[51] 



9gemoir0 of t fte CitJil mat 

friends adieu and set out on a horse I had 
purchased, with my servant, a mulatto man 
named WilHam Poole, for the railroad depot 
at Milford. I think the distance to Colonel 
Crutchfield's quarters was fifteen miles. 
When I arrived at the Mattapony River, 
wdiich is a short distance from Milford Depot, 
I found that river very high, spreading on 
the south side over the causeway and woods. 
It was impossible for a stranger to tell where 
was the causeway. There were w^agons and 
horsemen waiting, not knowing what to do. I 
said to them, *'If there is any one here familiar 
with the road, I will follow him." The offer 
was accepted by one rider; it seemed he sim- 
ply wanted company. We went along and 
fortunately kept on the causeway, and after 
proceeding some distance, saw above the flood, 
the upper part of the arch of the bridge over 
the regular channel. We crossed in safety, 
and after many inquiries I found the way to 
Colonel Crutchfield's quarters. He was estab- 
lished for the winter with the Battalion of 
Lieut. Col. Walker on the Estate of Mr. De 
Jarnette. It was night when I arrived there. 
I disposed of the servant and our horses, and 
accepted Col. Crutchfield's invitation to share 
his tent until another could be obtained. I 
made the acquaintance of many officers in the 
Artillery of the 2nd Corps, some of them at- 
tained great prominence in the Army, men of 
great ability and intelligence. In this Com- 
mand were Colonel J. Thompson Brown, 
Lieut. Col. R. L. Walker, Majors H. P. Jones, 
Thomas M. Carter, Captains William Peg- 
ram, Carter M. Braxton, D. G. Mcintosh, 

[52] 



^emoit$ of tfte Citnimac^ 



Thomas A. Brander, Lieutenants James Tyler, 
George M. Cayce, W. Gordon McCabe, Rich- 
ard Byrd and J. H. Chamberlayne. We en- 
joyed the hospitality of the De Jarnette fam- 
ily, on whose estate the cantonment of 
Walker's Battalion was located ; the other Bat- 
talions were within a radius of five miles. 
But the spring was approaching and active 
service was to be expected on any day. 

On the 28th of April Colonel Crutchfield 
rode off to the Headquarters of General Pen- 
dleton for a conference. On the next day 
about 12 noon, a telegram came to our ^quar- 
ters from General Jackson, as follows : ''Have 
the Artillery at Hamilton's Crossing at dawn 
to-morrow." I opened the telegram and went 
to Lieut. Col. Walker's tent and showed it to 
him and Captain Braxton, who was present, 
and after getting their advice, issued an order 
for the Artillery to start at once for the place 
designated, leaving a small guard at each 
Camp to look out for the sick and property 
which could not be sent with the batteries, and 
by three o'clock P. M., the last of the column 
was on its way. Colonel J. Thompson Brown 
was next in rank to Colonel Crutchfield, his 
headquarters were five miles distant, so the or- 
der was signed by order of Col. Crutchfield. 
No instruction had been given me for such an 
event. As the rear of the column was leaving, 
Col. Crutchfield appeared. He asked me why 
I had not turned the command over to Col. 
Brown. He was evidently in a bad humor. 
I replied that I did not think the exigency of 
the occasion permitted any delay. It would 
have taken considerable time to have turned 

[53] 



emoit0 of tbe Citiil mat 



over the command to Col. Brown and it would 
have been late in the evening before the com- 
mand could have been gotten on their way. 
The telegram led me to believe that the serv- 
ice of the Artillery would be required at dawn, 
and after a march of twenty-five miles, the 
men and horses should have time for rest 
before eng^aging the enemy. As it was the 
head of the column reached Hamilton's Cross- 
ing by ten o'clock that night. When we 
reached that place, Col. Crutchfield went at 
once to report to General Jackson and sent 
me to announce the arrival of the Artillery to 
General Rodes. He had retired for the night, 
but his voice came to me from the inside of 
his tent, saying he was glad to hear it. That 
country around Hamilton's Crossing was new 
to me. I found General Rodes, but after that 
I had a hard time to find Col. Crutchfield, or 
anything else, and have no idea where I rested, 
but remember well I was up early the next 
day and rode with Col. Crutchfield along the 
line. A part of the Federal Army had crossed 
the Rappahannock River and deployed and 
were threatening the line extending from 
Hamilton's Crossing towards Fredericksburg; 
that was Sedgwick's Corps. The main body 
of the Army of the Potomac had marched up 
the left bank of the river, crossed at several 
fords, and were marching against the left flank 
of the Army of Northern Virginia. General 
Hooker had succeeded General Burnside in 
command of the Federal Army. Soon after- 
wards General Jackson's Corps was ordered to 
march towards our left wing. When the head 
of the column of Artillery reached Salem 

[54] 



00emoir0 of tfte CitJil mat 



Church, on the Fredericksburg and Orange 
Plank Road, we found that Anderson's Divi- 
sion had been engaged with a part of the Fed- 
eral Army, which was retiring slowly towards 
Chancellorsville. I was sent forward to re- 
port to General Jackson the ' arrival of the 
Artillery and told to ask him if he desired it 
sent forward by Battery or Battalion. I found 
him near the skirmish line. There was a thick 
copse of wood near, in which the enemy's 
skirmishers were supposed to be. General 
Jackson's reply was, "Have a battery planted 
there," pointing to a position commanding the 
woods. Almost at once a battery was placed 
at the point indicated. Someone else had or- 
dered it. I started to return, when seeing a 
little way towards the left Captain Huger 
with a section of 24-pounder Howitzers on 
the line, I stopped a moment to speak to him. 
Lieut. Col. E. P. Alexander was with him. 
While there I saw a shot fired at the Federal 
skirmish line, which brought down one man. 
The enemy was retiring, but to what point? 
That was what General Lee wished to find 
out, as I saw Colonel Tallcot trying to ascer- 
tain the direction the Federal skirmishers 
were going, whether towards Chancellorsville 
or the United States Ford. It turned out to 
be the former place. The Confederate column 
pushed on and in an hour or two reached the 
neighborhood of Chancellorsville. This was 
the first engagement since I had become a 
StafT Oflficer — mounted — I thought of how I 
should conduct myself. Capt. Braxton had 
once said that the position was one which 
often took the ofigcer into some very hot 

[55] 



90emoir0 of tfte CitJil MJar 

places. I determined to ride by the side of 
Col. Crutchfield and keep dressed to his left 
as near as possible. As the column ascended 
the slight hill to Chancellorsville, a Federal 
Battery fired on it. It had approached too 
near the Federal position in column. It was 
necessary to return. The guns and caissons 
were turned around — I have often thought if 
the enemy had discovered the true situation a 
charge by a squadron of Cavalry, or an ad- 
vance by Infantry, could have destroyed the 
usefulness of a good many of our guns. Baron 
Marbot speaks of that sort of mistake in his 
memoirs, when the French Army pressed too 
closely the retreating Spaniards through a 
mountain pass. The French troops were too 
closely packed in a narrow road and were un- 
able to defend themselves and suffered se- 
verely. Fortunately in the case in question, 
the country was wooded and our condition 
was not found out. The column turned back 
without damage. The Infantry was in line 
to the right of the Plank Road. On the left 
there was Cavalry, but none in sight. Col. 
Crutchfield moved to the left, then entered a 
narrow road leading towards the enemy to 
make a reconnaissance. We rode several hun- 
dred yards, when a battery opened on us. We 
turned to regain the column, galloping — the 
shots passing over our heads. A limb of a 
tree, extending over the narrow road, took off 
my cap. I thought to myself, what a ridicu- 
lous sight I would make if I returned without 
my cap; so I stopped, dismounted and re- 
covered it. Passing on a little farther the fir- 
ing ceased. Then I saw two fine rubber blan- 

[56] 



^emoir0 of tfte Ciuil mat 

kets left by the Federals. I picked them up 
and attached them to my saddle. I had pur- 
chased from the Ordnance Department a fine 
English saber, which I had worn for more 
than a year, but as it was not the custom at 
that time for Staff Officers to wear their 
swords, it was left with my baggage in the 
Headquarters' wagon. It was taken by 
someone and I never saw it again. When we 
returned to the Plank Road, we found the 
column of Infantry at a halt. Quite a brisk 
Artillery duel was going on a little to the 
right. General R. E. Lee was there. He 
called for General Pender commanding the 
leading Brigade ,and I heard him say to the 
latter, ''General, send some sharpshooters to 
pick off the gunners of that Battery." Very 
soon afterwards several Cavalry Officers rode 
up from the left and said one of General J. 
E. B. Stuart's staff named Channing had just 
been shot a short distance from wheTe we 
were standing. Night came on, the firing 
ceased, and Col. Crutchfield went back to the 
Headquarters' wagon, where we passed the 
night. When General Jackson's Corps left 
Hamilton's Crossing, General J. A. Early was 
left there with a force to hold in check Sedg- 
wick's Corps, then threatening the Fredericks- 
burg position. On the march towards Chan- 
cellorsville, we saw a balloon on the north 
side of the river ascend about four hundred 
feet, from which officers watched the move- 
ments on our side. 



[57] 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Chancellorsville. 

Early next morning, May 2nd, Jackson's 
Corps was on the march by way of the Cath- 
erine Furnace towards the Brock Road. The 
Infantry had flankers, or skirmishers, out, but 
the road was so narrow and the woods so 
thick, that often the Hne of flankers was with- 
in a few steps of the column. Occasionally 
in the clear space I could see a Cavalry vi- 
dette. Col. Crutchfield rode at the head of 
the column with General Jackson, General J. 
E. B. Stuart, Major Von Bourck, Major 
Chew, and several other officers. When I 
reached the Plank Road I saw General Jack- 
son and another officer ride along that road 
and stop at a turn of the same for observa- 
tion. They then rode back and the column 
kept on the Brock Road until it reached the 
Old Orange Turnpike. While approaching 
the latter General Stuart was with the Cavalry 
skirmishers. They were advancing through 
a field covered with broom straw and bushes. 
The line hesitated a little, whereupon General 
Stuart called out to them, "Go ahead, there 
is nothing but Cavalry there." Finally the 
old turnpike was reached a little east of the 
Wilderness Tavern. There were woods on 
each side. The Infantry commenced to arrive 
and was at once deployed. The officers were 
warned not to give their orders in a loud 
voice. There were twelve or more officers in 
a group on the road, when Major Von Bourck 
and another officer rode towards the east to 
reconnoiter. They returned in a short time 

[58] 



9iemoir0 of tfte CitJil Wiat 

and reported that one had cHmbed a tree and 
had seen the enemy's position. They had two 
guns pointing towards the west, but the men 
were evidently not expecting an attack, as 
they were laying around smoking, some play- 
ing cards, and a little back from the road were 
preparing food. About that time a report 
came that the enemy had attacked the column 
on the road near the Catherine Furnace, and 
Col. Crutchfield dispatched several couriers at 
different times to the Battalions of Artillery 
and for the wagon train to take another road^ 
and come to the Wilderness Tavern. It took 
considerable time for the Infantry to arrive 
and deploy. Evening was approaching and 
I was ordered to proceed to Wilderness Tav- 
ern and await the train. While I was there 
the order to advance was given, and the pur- 
suit was so rapid that it was quite dark before 
I reached the front. I was not able to find 
Col. Crutchfield. At last I attached my horse 
to a tree and lay on the ground and slept un- 
til daylight. Next morning I found lying 
near the side of the turnpike the body of Col. 
Frank Mallory, of the 55th Virginia Infantry. 
There were many more dead Confederates. 
Col. Mallory was the son of a neighbor of my 
father and college mate of my older brother. 
I cut a lock of hair from his head to carry to 
his family. I then inquired for Col. Crutch- 
field and learned that he had been wounded 
the evening before; also General Jackson. I 
then went back to the hospital near the Wild- 
erness Tavern, and as the Surgeon, Dr. Mc- 
Guire, was about to operate on Col. Crutch- 
field's wounded leg and needed assistance, I 

[59] 



90emoir0 of tfte CilJil J^at 

remained and held cotton saturated with 
chloroform to his nose, while Surgeon Mc- 
Guire removed the pieces of broken bone from 
his wound. The third day of the Battle of 
Chancellorsville was being fought at that very 
time. That night I slept in the Hospital Tent. 
General Jackson was lying wounded in the 
next tent and I heard one of his staff read the 
message of condolence from General Lee to 
him. One of General Jackson's couriers was 
lying in the tent ^hot in the stomach. He 
asked me to get him some water. I did so. 
When we awoke next morning he was dead. 
General Jackson was then placed in an ambu- 
lance and sent to Guinney's Station, and Col. 
Crutchfield was sent to his father's farm in 
Spottsylvania County, about twenty miles dis- 
tant. He left his horse in my care. General 
Jackson died in about one week. Col. Crutch- 
field was disabled for eighteen months and 
never returned to his position as Chief of Ar- 
tillery of the 2nd Corps. The Battle of Chan- 
cellorsville was over when I rode to the front 
and reported to Col. J. T. Brown, who said he 
would be glad to have me remain at his Head- 
t J. , quarters, but he had his own Adjutant, who 
6l-«».i4ft'-^'^was ¥eftaWe, his brother-in-law. Lieut. Col. 
R. L. Walker was present at the interview and 
said he would like to have me accompany him, 
which was agreed to. The Army returned to 
its old position near Fredericksburg and was 
organized into three Corps. Many promotions 
were made. The 1st Corps was slightly re- 
duced in numbers. Lieut. General Longstreet 
remained in command. Major Generals B. S. 
Ewell and A. P. Hill were made Lieutenant 

[60] 



emoirs! of tht Citoil mat 



Generals, and assigned to the command of the 
2nd and 3rd Corps, respectively. Lieut. Col. 
Walker was made Colonel and Chief of Artil- 
lery of the 3rd Corps. Colonel A. L. Long 
was made a Brigadier-General and Chief of 
Artillery of the 2nd Corps. I saw General 
Long soon afterwards and he told me it was 
the understanding that I should go with the 
Artillery of the 3rd Corps, which was then 
composed of the Battalions of Lieut. Col. 
Cutts, Major William Pegram, Major D. G. 
Mcintosh, Major W. A. Poagne, and Lieut. 
Col. John J. Garnett. This Artillery command 
proceeded to a Camp near Guinney's Station, 
and made preparations for the next campaign. 
I rode to see Col. Crutchfield, who was con- 
fined to his bed, but gradually improving. 
While at this Camp, news was received of the 
death of Gen. T. J. Jackson, Commander of 
the 2nd Corps Army of Northern Virginia, 
and the Rev. Dr. Moore, of Richmond, re- 
peated his funeral oration of General Jackson 
at a church near our Camp, which we heard. 
It was sublime; an inspiration to the soldiers 
to follow his example of devotion to duty in 
the Southern cause. 



[61] 



CHAPTER IX. 

With the Artillery of the Third Corps. 

Early in the month of June the command 
was ordered to march to Fredericksburg. The 
Artillery of the 3rd Corps was by that time 
thoroughly organized. Our Quartermaster, 
Major Wm. C. Scott, was a very efficient offi- 
cer and the command was provided for in 
every respect except we lacked a supply of 
horse shoes. We had a small corps of couriers 
detailed from different batteries, who were in- 
telligent men. A young man named J. W. 
Eeague from Smithfield, one of the couriers, 
was used as a clerk in the Adjutant's office. 
Charles H. Buskey, of Norfolk, was courier 
and also a Mr. Bragg, from Orange County. 
On our arrival at Fredericksburg, we found 
the Infantry of the 3rd Corps, R. H. Ander- 
son's Division, H. Heth's and C. M. Wilcox's 
Divisions, confronting a force of General 
Hooker's Federal Army, which had crossed 
the pontoon bridges to the south side of the 
river, and appeared to have the intention to 
attack. General A. P. Hill's field headquar- 
ters were on Howison's Hill. The Corps of 
General Longstreet and Ewell were at Cul- 
pepper Court House, about forty miles to the 
west. General Lee was about to invade the 
State of Pennsylvania. The main body of the 
Federal Army was near Falmouth, and Gen- 
eral Hooker was trying to ascertain the inten- 
tions of General Lee. The former sent a 
large force of Cavalry to Brandy Station, ac- 
companied by two Brigades of Infantry to re- 
connoiter. The result was a severe Cavalry 

[62] 



emoit0 of tfte Citiil Mlar 



battle which lasted all day, when the Federal 
forces retired. They discovered a part of 
the Confederate Infantry near Brandy Sta- 
tion. The force that was in front of General 
A. P. Hill then recrossed the river. The next 
day the 3rd Corps marched in the direction of 
Culpepper Court House. We passed by Chan- 
cellorsville where six weeks before had been 
fought that bloody battle. We saw the strong 
entrenchments which Hooker's Army had 
thrown up just in the rear of that place. We 
crossed the Rapidan River at Eley's Ford 
and reached Culpepper Court House early on 
the third day. Next day the Artillery marched 
to Sperryville, the Infantry took a shorter 
route by Gaine's Cross Roads. We pursued 
the route via Front Royal and arrived at a 
place near Berryville where we remained in 
camp during the 21st and 22nd of June. I 
was engaged at that place in making the Field 
Report of the Artillery of the 3rd Corps. As 
well as I can remember, we had eighty odd 
guns and fifteen hundred men, with a full 
compliment of horses and wagons, besides the 
Ordnance Train under Captain L. Points, with 
Lieut. Henry Thorburn acting quartermaster. 
It was understood at that time that the Army 
of Northern Virginia consisted of three Corps 
of three divisions each, and the divisions had 
six thousand men for duty. General J. E. B. 
Stuart commanded the Cavalry, with its Horse 
Artillery. The Artillery of each Corps had 
eighty odd guns and about fifteen hundred 
men. On the 23rd of June we started on the 
march for Pennsylvania, bivouacked near 
Sheppardstown, crossed the Potomac River 

[631 



9gemDir0 of tfte Citoil mai 

the next day, and marched to Hagerstown. 
There we found Longstreet's Corps passing 
through that town. The night we spent at 
Sheppardstown I went with Col. Walker to 
the house of the Hon. Mr. Boteler and spent 
part of the evening. General Archer was there 
and Lieut. Lemon of his staff. Leaving Hag- 
erstown next morning we took the eastern 
road by Waynesboro, camped at Fayetteville. 
On the march the Artillery accompanied Gen- 
eral Pender's Division. We remained at Fay- 
etteville several days and on the 30th started 
for Cashtown, passing through the Gap near 
which was located Thad. Stevens' Furnace. 
We passed General R. E. Lee standing near 
the road in full uniform with swort belt, but 
no sword. To us young men he had the ap- 
pearance of being in fighting humor. While 
we were marching towards Fayetteville, our 
Colonel dispatched Lieut. J. H. Chamberlayne 
and several enlisted men to get horses. They 
crossed the mountains to the east, but did not 
return; they were captured. As we were 
descending the mountain near Cashtown, there 
was a sudden halt of the column of wagons 
in front of us. That usually indicates that 
the enemy has been seen. It turned out to 
be Pettigrew's Brigade which was returning 
from Gettysburg. Heth's Division had crossed 
the mountain the day before and stopped at 
Cashtown. On the 30th General Heth sent 
Pettigrew's Brigade to Gettysburg, eight 
miles southeast, to obtain a supply of shoes. 
They discovered that Gettysburg was occupied 
by the enemy, therefore abandoned the plan 
of getting shoes and returned That Brigade 

[64] 



93emoir0 of the Ciuil mat 

was just returning to Cashtown when Pen- 
der's Division arrived in sight, hence the sud- 
den halt of the column. Soon afterwards we 
reached the outskirts of Cashtown and bivou- 
acked for the night. General A. P. Hill that 
night determined to make a reconnaissance in 
force the next day to ascertain what was in 
front. 



[65] 



CHAPTER X. 

Battle of Gettysburg. 

When General A. P. Hill started his column 
across the mountain on the 29th his orders 
were to proceed through Gettysburg towards 
York. Ascertaining from General Pettigrew 
that the enemy occupied Gettysburg, as be- 
came the able soldier that he was, he notified 
General Lee and General Ewell and proceeded 
early on the morning of July 1st to make the 
reconnaissance, sending forward Heth's Divi- 
sion with Pegram's Battalion of Artillery, fol- 
lowed by Pender's Division and Mcintosh's 
Battalion of Artillery. Col. Walker rode at 
the head of the column with a three-inch rifle 
gun of Captain Edward Marye's Battery. 
The skirmishers were in front. When they 
reached the crossing of Marsh Run, the place 
looked suspicious, the banks of that stream 
were covered with trees and underbrush, so 
the skirmishers halted. The three-inch rifle 
gun was brought up and fired one shot, where- 
upon the Federal Cavalry skirmishers rose and 
retreated. That place is about four miles from 
Gettysburg. The column pushed on and soon 
arrived at Willoughby Run, two miles far- 
ther. There General Heth ordered Archer's 
Brigade to deploy on the right of the road and 
advance in line across the Run, which was 
done. The enemy's Cavalry had determined 
to make a stand there and two batteries were 
in position on the hill east of the Run. I 
have since learned they were Hall's and 
Calef's Batteries. Just at that time the lead- 
ing Brigade of Reynold's First Corps of the 

[66] 



9@emoit0 of tfie Citiil (KHat 

Federal Army arrived on the scene and at- 
tacked that portion of Archer's Brigade which 
had crossed the Run, captured the General and 
several hundred men, while the Batteries 
opened fire on the troops arriving on the other 
side. It was then evident to General Heth 
with whom he had business. As the other 
Brigades of Heth's Division arrived they were 
deployed on the hill on the west side of Will- 
oughby Run. Lieut. John Morris had one of 
his legs crushed by a shell. We saw him as he 
lay in a dying condition on the hill near 
Pegram's Batteries. He died soon afterwards. 
Col. Walker then rode back towards Cash- 
town where the Reserve Battalions of Artil- 
lery had remained and ordered them to the 
front. The contest was kept up at that place 
for several hours from each side of the Run. 
Davis' Brigade crossed the Run and attacked 
the right flank of the Federal First Corps at 
the Railroad Cut, assisted by Captain Bran- 
der's Battery, but without success. On Col. 
Walker's return to the front, we were riding 
near our Infantry line on the right of the 
road, when one of our Infantry men brought 
a Federal Cavalry soldier of a Michigan Regi- 
ment from the front, where he had captured 
him. Colonel Walker received the prisoner 
and directed me to conduct him to General A. 
P. Hill, who was on the hill just west of the 
Run. General Hill asked him a few questions 
then turned him over to the Provost Guard. 
The Cavalry man was mounted and fully 
equipped. I took possession of his holster 
in which was an Army revolver and attached 
it to my saddle bow. While with General Hill 
[67] 



Qiemoirs of tfte CitJil EHar 

he ordered a Battery to relieve Brander's Bat- 
tery, whose ammunition was exhausted, and 
by order of Colonel Walker, Maurin's Bat- 
tery was sent to relieve Brander's. At that 
time, about 2.00 P. M., General Hill was 
watching for the arrival of Ewell's Corps, 
the head of whose column could be seen near 
the right of the Federal line. As soon as 
Ewell's troops deployed, the battle was re- 
newed and in an hour or two the Federal line 
gave way and was pursued towards Gettys- 
burg, Pender's Division having advanced in 
support of Heth's in driving the Federal 
troops from Seminary Heights. About five 
o'clock I saw General Lee and Longstreet rid- 
ing up to Seminary Heights, and also saw 
Johnson's Division of Ewell's Corps arriving 
on the field. The Federal troops retreated to 
Cemetery Heights, south of Gettysburg, and 
took position there. Night came on and we 
lay down to rest on the side of the Cashtown 
Road. Heth's and Pender's Divisions had 
taken position on Seminary Heights with 
Pegram's and Mcintosh's Battalions of Artil- 
lery. We were up by daylight next morning. 
As I was riding up the slope leading to Sem- 
inary Heights, I met General Semmes riding 
alone. He asked me where the battle of the 
day before had been fought. I told him he 
was at that time on a portion of the field. 
He commanded a Brigade in McLaw's Divi- 
sion of Longstreet's Corps and was killed that 
afternoon. Farther to the right I met General 
Mahone riding at the head of his Brigade. He 
asked me, ''Where is the Enemy?" I pointed 
towards Cernetery Heights about fourteen 

[68] 



^emoirs! of tfte €i\yil mat 



hundred yards to the east and said, *'over 
there." At that time Anderson's Division, to 
which his Brigade belonged, was moving into 
position, and he said why there is musketry 
firing on this side, pointing to McMillan's 
woods, which is an extension of Seminary 
Heights. That was true and the leading 
Brigade of Anderson's Division had to skir- 
mish and drive away some Federal troops to 
take up their position in the line. General 
Mahone was accompanied by Colonel William 
Gibson, whose acquaintance I had made on 
the field of Sharpsburg, to which he made a 
pleasant allusion. I told him that I was^ then 
attached to the Artillery and he said, "That 
is just where you ought to be." Soon after- 
wards I saw the Infantry of Longstreet's 
Corps arriving, but seemed to be awaiting or- 
ders. I think it was then between seven and 
eight o'clock A. M., and the day was not clear, 
but overcast. The field headquarters of Gen- 
eral Lee was near the Fairfield Road, in rear 
of the center of the right wing and I saw him 
and other officers at that point later. After 
reconnoitering the front, it was determined to 
have Longstreet attack the enemy's left flank. 
The order to that Corps Commander was to 
partially envelop the enemy's left flank and 
move along the Emmettsburg Road. It is 
several miles from the Seminary, near which 
I saw Longstreet's Infantry arriving to the 
Round Top, which was believed to be the 
enemy's left. When Longstreet's troops ar- 
rived there, instead of finding his troops on 
the enemy's left flank, he found that Sickles 
3rd Corps of the Federal Army had moved 

[69] 



^emoir0 of tfte Citiil mat 

forward from the prolongation of the Cem- 
etery Ridge and had taken position on the 
Emmettsburg Road as far as a peach orchard, 
where his Hne made an obtuse angle with its 
left running along the ridge to a place called 
Devil's Den at the foot of the Big Round 
Top. The Little Round Top was in rear of 
Sickles line and was occupied by some of the 
Signal Corps. General Longstreet's troops 
were deployed in front of the two sides of 
that angle. It was a very strong position. Its 
weak spot was the point of the angle and the 
Confederate Artillery was posted to enfilade 
the two fronts. AH being ready, an advance 
of the Infantry was ordered and a bloody bat- 
tle followed. Prior to that Colonel Walker 
received a note from General Hill conceived 
in the following terms: "General Longstreet 
is about to attack the enemy's left, watch his 
movements and aid him as much as possible." 
I took that note and showed it to each Bat- 
talion Commander and when Longstreet's at- 
tack was made the Artillery of the 3rd Corps 
opened fire and followed the instructions. The 
enemy's Artillery replied, and a cannonade 
was kept up for at least two hours. The Ar- 
tillery lost some men and a great many horses. 
Pegram's Battalion's loss in horses was very 
great. While that battle was progressing Gen- 
eral Hill with his stafT rode along a part of 
his front and in rear of McLaw's Division, 
which by that time had passed beyond the 
peach orchard and was pursuing the enemy 
towards the prolongation of Cemetery 
Heights. That gallop under the Artillery fire 
was very exciting, but I lost my holster with 

[70] 



09emoir0 of tfte CilJil Mux 

the revolver. No one was struck. General 
Hills' staff were occupied in rallying some of 
the Confederates, who were falling back in 
groups of two or three. I could see the little 
Round Top very plainly, the enemy was draw- 
ing some guns by hand on its summit. We 
remained near that position until nearly dusk. 
At that time I saw a force of Federals mov- 
ing to the front in columns of companies. 
That day's fighting on our right closed at dark 
and we returned to our quarters. Longstreet's 
Corps and a part of Hill's had gained consid- 
erable ground, had taken all of the position 
to which Sickle's Corps had moved, and driven 
that Corps and all the reinforcements sent to 
its support back to the prolongation of Cem- 
etery Heights, which they held with their left 
resting on Little Round Top, at the foot of 
which the Confederate skirmishers remained 
and from that point along the Devil's Den to 
McMillan's woods. 

Next morning we were up early and I rode 
to the peach orchard where were lying many 
dead Federal soldiers, conspicuous among 
them Zouaves with the baggy red trousers. 
On the Federal side they seemed to be 
strengthening their defenses. I met my old 
Captain Huger, then promoted to Major. He 
said he was trying to bring Artillery to bear 
on the Big Round Top, which the Federals 
had occupied during the night. Col. Alexan- 
der was arranging many pieces of Artillery 
for a grand cannonade to be opened later. I 
was sent to our left to notify the Commanders 
of the Artillery Battalions that they were to 
advance when their Infantry supports should 

[71] 



emoit0 of tfte CiIjU tOar 



move forward. As I came back I saw Heth's 
Division lying under the crest of the hill. An 
old friend, John Q. Richardson, Major of a 
North Carolina Regiment, spoke to me and 
said, "I understand that we are to charge that 
hill," pointing to Cemetery Hill. I looked 
over at the hill and the position looked so for- 
midable that I replied I did not think the 
rumor was true, although the order that I 
had just carried to the Artillery Battalion 
Commanders indicated that it was true. Poor 
fellow, he was killed shortly afterwards in the 
assault. I passed on down the line and soon 
came to Pickett's Division also lying down 
under the crest of the hill. General R. B. 
Garnett was in front of the line, with his aide- 
de-camp, Lieut. John S. Jones, a relative of 
mine. I stopped to speak to them; they were 
mounted. They said nothing about the 
charge to be made. Soon afterwards Garnett 
was killed. Jones was wounded but recovered. 
I was trying to find Colonel Walker and soon 
found him riding with Colonel Walton, Chief 
of Artillery of the First Corps; they were 
riding on the Fairfield Road. Occasionally 
a cannon ball or shell crossed the road. Dur- 
ing that short ride the charge of the column 
of attack took place, and as the view was ob- 
structed by woods, I did not see it. When we 
returned I passed General Lee and Lieut. Col. 
W. H. Taylor of his staff, riding to meet the 
defeated troops. A litter passed with a 
wounded officer, who raised himself on his 
elbow and saluted the General, who looked 
anxious and careworn, but resolute and self- 
possessed. After awhile the firing ceased. 

[72] 



Q^emoirs; of tfte Citoil 22Jat 

Our troops remained in the positions which 
they had taken before the fighting commenced 
on the second day. That night the Corps of 
General Ewell left their position in front of 
Gulp's Hill, and took position on the northern 
extension of Seminary Heights ; that is, on the 
left of the 3rd Gorps. 

Next day, July 4th, I was sent to a point 
near the Seminary and saw there a battery of 
the Richmond Howitzers. Occasional shots 
were exchanged by the Artillery of the two 
Armies. While at that place a shell burst 
very near me, which indicated that both sides 
were on the alert. The losses of the two 
Armies were fearfully large, something like 
forty thousand. I was near a conference of 
high ranking Artillery officers and heard Gen- 
eral E. P. Alexander say that we did not have 
left more than four rounds of ammunition to 
each gun. An order was issued to leave the 
lines at dusk and take the Fairfield Road. A 
rain storm set in that evening and we found 
the road very muddy. We passed through 
Fairfield in the night and arrived at the foot 
of Jack's Mountain at daylight. The 3rd 
Gorps, which led the column, stopped there 
during that day and the 1st Gorps passed. 
That afternoon we started following the 1st 
Gorps and crossed the mountain at Monterey 
at daylight and proceeded to the town of 
Waynesboro, where we halted to rest. I rode 
during that night the horse of Golonel Grutch- 
field and my servant rode my own horse. It 
was the custom of the officers' servants to ac- 
company the wagons on the march. Next 
morning, July 6th, when we halted my ser- 

[73] 



emoit0 of tbt Citiil mat 



vant did not appear. I did not see him again 
until after the close of the War. He then told 
me, that being very much fatigued on the 
night of the 5th, he tied his horse to a tree 
and went to sleep. After the column passed 
he was captured. So I lost servant, horse and 
equipment. The 3rd Corps reached Hagers- 
town on the 7th. I was permitted to take the 
horse and equipment of the prisoner that I 
had conducted to General A. P. Hill during 
the battle of the first of July. We stopped on 
the outskirts of Hagerstown several days. My 
father's family had removed to Baltimore and 
I wrote to him and mailed the letter at the 
Post Office at Hagerstown. When the Con- 
federate Army left that place, communication 
with Baltimore was re-established and the 
mail went forward. While at Hagerstown, I 
visited the family of a former rector of Christ 
Church, Norfolk, Virginia, who were living 
in that town, Mr. Parks. On the 10th the 
enemy were reported advancing from Boones- 
boro, and the Army of General Lee was or- 
dered to take position a few miles from Hag- 
erstown, extending from the Williamsport 
Road to St. James College and beyond. The 
3rd Corps was in front of that College. The 
Federal Army moved up and established a line 
in front. There was a little skirmishing, but 
no attack was made. 

It was the intention of General Lee to re- 
cross the Potomac River into Virginia, but 
that river was rendered, by frequent rains, too 
deep to ford, and a pontoon bridge was being 
built at Falling Waters, several miles in rear 
of our line. On the afternoon of the 13th, I 

[74] 



was directed to see each Battalion Commander 
and tell him to select an intelligent officer to 
go at once and familiarize himself with the 
road leading from his position to the main 
road to Falling Waters. It came on to rain 
and by dusk was very dark, and notwithstand- 
ing the precaution taken, one battery lost its 
way, and had blue lights burning in their ef- 
forts to find the road. Fortunately the enemy 
did not seem to notice the lights, and after 
awhile the Artillery column got well under 
way. The road was narrow and muddy, 
badly cut up by the wheels, and crowded. I 
fell asleep repeatedly while riding, but at last 
by daybreak we reached the pontoon bridge 
and rode on into Virginia and bivouacked at 
Bunker Hill. 



[75] 



CHAPTER XL 
Comments on the Battle of Gettysburg. 

Some years ago the Count de Paris, who 
was writing a History of the War between 
the Northern and Southern States, wrote to 
many prominent officers, asking the cause of 
the failure of the Confederate Army to gain 
the battle of Gettysburg. If he had access 
to the archives of the War Department, he 
might have found a brief, but concise, answer 
to his question by General R. E. Lee himself, 
for in a letter written by himself to President 
Jefferson Davis four days after the battle, to 
wit, July 7th, will be found in Series 1, Vol. 
27, Part 2, Serial No. 44, the following : 

"Mr. President — My letter of the 4th inst. 
will have informed you of the unsuccessful 
issue of our final attack on the enemy in the 
rear of Gettysburg — Finding the position too 
strong to be carried — and being much hindered 
in collecting necessary supplies for the Army, 
by the numerous bodies of local and other 
troops which watched the passes, I determined 
to withdraw to the west side of the moun- 
tains." 

The Army of Northern Virginia in that 
battle was successful in everything except their 
final attack. On the first day the victory was 
complete. That portion of the Federal Army 
engaged was driven from the position its 
Commander had chosen, at least one mile, and 
had lost about five thousand prisoners and 
many small arms. 

On the second day Longstreet fought a 
terrific battle with two divisions, aided by 
three Brigades of A. P. Hill; he drove back 
the 3rd Corps and the 5th Corps, and all the 

[76] 



^emDir0 of ttie CitJil mat 



reinforcements sent to their aid, about one 
mile. Ewell also gained considerable ground, 
but could go no farther. 

On the third day the final assault was not ^ 
successful, and the Confederate Army fell 
back to the position it had assumed on the 
second day. As General Lee said in his letter 
of July 7th, the enemy's position was found 
to be too strong to be carried. General 
Sickle's change of position to the front has 
been pronounced a mistake. In my opmion, 
it proved to be the safety of the Federal Army. 
It is true he was driven from it after a terri- 
ble struggle, which so exhausted Longstreet's 
troops that when they approached the exten- 
sion of Cemetery Heights with the Federal 
left resting on Little Round Top and with 
that stronghold and the crest of the extension 
held by the Federal troops, he was not able 
to carry it. Those two hills. Gulp's on the 
Federal's right, and Little Round Top on their 
left, might properly be called Gibraltars on a 
small scale. 

The Federal position on the third day, ex- 
tending from Gulp's Hill on their right, to 
Round Top on their left, was an exceedingly 
strong position, and it was held by two lines 
of Infantry, in some parts three lines, and 
garnished with Artillery, with the weak point 
partly fortified with stone walls and earth- 
works. Such positions are rarely carried by 
assaults in front, and after the failure of the 
assault by the column of attack on the third 
day. General Lee decided that it was too 
strong to be carried and determined to with- 
draw his Army. 



99emoit0 of tfie CiUil Wi^t 

Here follows what General Lee said in his 
Official Report of his final attack, which is 
found in Series 1, Vol. 27, Part 2, Serial No. 
44, Page No. 20: "General Longstreet was 
delayed by a force occupying the high rocky 
hill on the enemy's extreme left from which 
his troops could be attacked in reverse as they 
advanced. His operations had been embar- 
rassed the day previous by the same cause, 
and he now deemed it necessary to defend his 
flank and rear with the Divisions of Hood and 
McLaws. He was therefore reinforced by 
Heth's Division and two Brigades of Pen- 
ders. A careful examination was made of 
the ground secured by Longstreet and his 
Batteries placed in positions, which it was be- 
lieved would enable them to silence those of 
the enemy. Hill's Artillery and part of 
Ewell's was ordered to open simultaneously, 
and the assaulting column to advance under 
cover of the combined fire of the three. The 
batteries were directed to be pushed forward 
as the Infantry progressed, protect their flanks 
and support their attack closely. 

"About LOO P. M., at a given signal, a 
heavy cannonade was opened, and continued 
for about two hours, with marked effect upon 
the enemy. His Batteries replied vigorously 
at first, but toward the close their fire slack- 
ened perceptibly, and General Longstreet or- 
dered forward the column of attack, consisting 
of Pickett's and Heth's Divisions, in two lines, 
Pickett on the right, Wilcox's Brigade 
marched in rear of Pickett's right to guard 
that flank and Heth's was supported by Lane's 
and Scale's Brigades under General Trimble.'' 

[78] 



09emoit0 of tfte CiUil mat 

It will be seen from General Lee's report 
that the component parts of the column of at- 
tack are given and consisted of two Divisions 
of Infantry and three other Brigades, two of 
Pender's and one of Anderson's, in all about 
twelve thousand men. The assault was a bril- 
liant one, but it could not carry, but tempo- 
rarily, a small portion of the Federal line, and 
being attacked in front and flank, the assault- 
ing column was forced to retire to the Con- 
federate line with heavy loss. Pickett's Di- 
vision was reduced from four thousand, five 
hundred men, to about fifteen hundred, and 
on the return to Virginia was charged with 
guarding about five thousand prisoners, most 
of whom were captured on the first day of 
the battle. 

That battle has been called the high water 
mark of the Confederate States. On the 
march back to Virginia Lieut. Col. Taylor 
told me of the capture of Vicksburg and that 
news, together with the failure at Gettysburg, 
made us feel rather gloomy. My impression 
of the Battle of Gettysburg from what I wit- 
nessed and from reading since the official re- 
ports is, that every portion of the Army of 
Northern Virginia obeyed orders and accom- 
plished all that it was in their power to do, 
but that Army was not strong enough to carry 
that formidable position defended by the Fed- 
eral Army of the Potomac. 



[79] 



CHAPTER XII. 

Battle of Bristow Station. 

The Army Again on the Soil of Virginia. 

After resting two days at Bunker Hill, the 
Artillery of the 3rd Corps proceeded with the 
1st Corps and the Infantry of the 3rd Corps 
by way of Winchester and Chester Gap to 
Culpepper Court House. The Artillery en- 
camped near Cedar Mountain and remained a 
few days, where I was engaged in writing a 
report of the Campaign. The wife of our 
Commanding Officer came up to meet him and 
stayed at the farm house of Mr. Slaughter. 
At Bunker Hill, I occupied one side of Col. 
Walker's tent. One night a thief cut open 
the back of the tent and took my clothes, which 
had been folded and laid near my head, but 
he must have been frightened off, for I re- 
covered them within fifty yards. So it ap- 
pears that thieves break through and steal 
even in an Encampment of an Army. I re- 
member also that a thief stole the dough from 
our cook one night, who had placed it in an 
oven to rise. 

The 1st and 3rd Corps then moved to 
Orange Court House and were joined by the 
2nd Corps about the first week of August, 
which had to go some distance up the valley, 
as the route through Chester Gap was occu- 
pied by the enemy. We had a good rest at 
Orange Court House. I met the daughters 
of Mrs. Bull, who lived there, and rode with 
Miss Mary to Montpelier, the former resi- 
dence of President Madison. The enemy oc- 
cupied Culpepper Court House, about fifteen 

[80] 



Q9emoit0 of tbt Ciuil Wiat 

miles distant, atid there were frequent alarms 
when the troops were called to arms. Our Ar- 
tillery was encamped on the road to Rapidan 
Station. At this camp Major Arthur Parker, 
C. S., reported for duty. Major Miles Sel- 
don, Q. M., was also ordered to report to 
Colonel Walker, but his orders were revoked. 
The Army was very much strengthened by 
the return of wounded and sick soldiers to 
duty. 

About the 10th of October, General Lee 
determined to strike a blow at the enemy, not- 
withstanding the fact that the 1st Corps under 
General Longstreet had left us and gone to re- 
inforce the Army in Georgia cotpmanded by 
General Bragg. We set out early in the morn- 
ing and crossed the Rapidan at Liberty Mills 
and bivouacked. Our Quartermaster, Major 
Scott, was the son-in-law of Mr. Graves, who 
lived near that place and invited me to accom- 
pany him to make a visit. I did so and found 
Mrs. Graves a fine old lady, who had known 
some of my mother's relatives. We had a 
good supper and enjoyed the visit, returning 
to the column early next morning. That day 
the column reached a place near Sperryville. 
Everyone has a grain of superstitution. I 
believe I have very little, but I could not help 
remarking on a flock of black birds some dis- 
tance on the road to Culpepper Court House, 
where the column halted, and we heard that 
the Federal Army having learned of our 
flanking movement, was retiring towards 
Warrentown Junction. Our column started 
early the next morning and proceeded by a 
road leading to the Warrentown While Sul- 

[81] 



emoir0 of tfte Ci^il caat 



phur Springs, and bivouacked near the town 
of Warrenton. The next day we marched to 
New Baltimore and then turned into a road 
leading to Bristow Station of the O. and A. 
R. R. General Heth's Division was at the 
head of the column, followed by Anderson's 
Division and Wilcox's Division brought up 
the rear of the Infantry. Major Mcintosh's 
Battalion accompanied Heth and the Reserve 
Battalions followed Wilcox. General Heth 
found the Fifth Federal Corps, under General 
G. K. Warren, passing along the side of the 
railroad and attacked them with two Brigades 
and Mcintosh's Batteries. The enemy lined 
the railroad embankment and, as the two 
Brigades approached, they received a volley 
of musketry and the fire of batteries posted 
on the hill beyond, which broke them and they 
retreated with severe loss, leaving Mcintosh's 
Batteries exposed and he lost five of his guns. 
The Reserve Artillery arrived soon after and 
I was sent to the front to inform General Hill 
of its arrival. In going to the front I passed 
some soldiers who had been killed and soon 
came to the Division of General Anderson 
lying in an open field just in rear of the posi- 
tion where Mcintosh's Batteries had been cap- 
tured. I inquired for General Hill and was 
told he had gone towards the right. Several 
hundred yards to the right there was woods, 
and followed by courier J. W. League, I rode 
in that direction, and, as I did so, a battery 
posted on the enemy's right opened ; the firing 
was directed towards the line of Infantry, and 
the shell rained over our heads. We reached 
the wood§ ,and were thus out of sight without 

[82] 



9@emoit0 of tfte CiUil MJat 

being struck, but the Infantry fared badly, 
several men of my old Company ''G" of the 
6th Virginia were killed and men of other 
Regiments, among them Lieut. T. L. Barrand 
of the 16th Virginia. I found General Hill 
not very far off and reported the arrival of 
the Reserve Artillery and received instruc- 
tions for the night which was fast approach- 
ing. General Hill was conversing with Gen- 
eral Ewell, whose Corps had arrived after the 
engagement of Hdth's Brigades. 

Early next morning Col. Walker was at 
the Headquarters of General Hill, and I 
heard the latter give an order for skirmishers 
to advance and discover what was in front. 
Skirmishers were sent forward and found 
that the enemy had left, but they managed 
to carry off the five guns. Then Generals Lee, 
Hill and Ewell rode over the field and on the 
hill beyond the railroad track. General Lee 
seemed to be dissatisfied. General Ewell had 
lost a leg, but he rode his horse. He was 
quite bald on top of his head, with gray hair 
on the back. His cap covered the top of his 
head, but left a bald place in the shape of a 
quarter moon. It was so noticeable that in 
my mind's eye I can see it now, forty-nine 
years after. The army remained at that place 
several days, engaged in destroying the O. & 
A. R. R. track, then marched back to the 
Rappahannock River. The Artillery of the 
3rd Corps encamped near Brandy Station. 
There was a pontoon bridge near the railroad 
bridge and on the north side of the river an 
earthwork held by some Infantry of Ewell's 
Corps. 

[83] 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Army Returns to Orange Court House. 

After being there a few days the enemy was 
reported advancing and the troops were called 
to arms. I was on the south bank of the river 
where we had a Battery posted about half a 
mile above the bridge. We saw the Federal 
line advancing just across the river. The 
Battery opened on it, but the ammunition was 
so inferior that not a shot reached the enemy. 
The order was to retire that night to the line 
of the Rapidan River about fifteen miles dis- 
tant. As night closed I could see the battle 
progressing at the bridge and learned after- 
wards that the Federal troops captured the 
earthwork and some prisoners. I was sepa- 
rated from Colonel Walker and was not able 
to find him that night. The Artillery pro- 
ceeded according to the order. After riding 
alone towards the Rapidan River through Cul- 
pepper Court House, and not finding Artillery 
Headquarters, I stopped on the south bank of 
the Robertson River, and as the night was 
cold, collected some wood — rails I am almost 
afraid to admit — ^made a fire and laid down 
for the balance of the night. Orange Court 
House, near the Rapidan River, was about 
seven miles distant. I moved off at daylight 
and soon fell in with Major Wm. C. Scott, 
our Quartermaster, and we rode into Orange 
Court House together. We passed a young 
lady on the street and Major Scott said it was 
Miss Taliaferro. Later that lady married 
Charles W. Hardy, one of my schoolmates in 
Norfolk— Orange Court House was her home. 

[84] 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Mine Run. 

The Artillery of the 3rd Corps went into 
Camp near the town, with one or two Bat- 
teries posted on the river bank. It was now 
late in October. We made our Headquarters 
on the road to Rapidan Station and hostilities 
were not renewed until the latter part of No- 
vember, when General Meade sent his Army 
across the river at several fords below and the 
Army of Northern Virginia was ordered at 
daylight to march to meet its old enemy. The 
advance of the two armies met a litde east of 
where Mine Run crosses the roads, leading 
to the wilderness and thence to Chancellors- 
ville and Fredericksburg, and a skirmish took 
place a little before dark. The weather was 
very cold. General Lee chose the position to 
the west of Mine Run and after dark we 
moved back and took position there. The next 
day all was quite ready to receive an attack. 
Some entrenchments were thrown up. The 
Corps of General Longstreet was still absent. 
The Corps of General A. P. Hill held the 
right. Its flank extended beyond the plank 
road. On the second day the enemy's sharp- 
shooters were very active on that side and 
Colonel Walker rode over there and was asked 
to establish another Battery on the extreme 
right. He sent me back on the Plank Road to 
bring a Battery from Lieut. Col. J. J. Gar- 
nett's Battalion. Fearing the Battery might 
be fired at if it passed along the entrenchments 
in plain view, I discovered another road by 
which it could reach the desired position with- 

[85] 



emoir0 of tht CitJil mat 



out being seen. I found Lieut. Col. Garnett 
and gave the orders. He selected Captain 
Charles R. Grandy's Battery— the Norfolk 
Light Artillery Blues — I guided them to the 
position without mishap. The Captain and 
many of his men were old acquaintances of 
mine. It turned out that General Warren had 
been ordered to attack that flank, but the posi- 
tion looked so formidable, that he advised 
General Meade against it. On our side the 
position appeared to, me to be very weak, but 
no doubt the posting of the Battery of Cap- 
tain Grandy strengthened it. The enemy not 
attacking, General Lee determined to attack 
them the next morning near that position. 
Early next day, I was at Antioch Church on 
that side, but General Stuart's Cavalry soon 
discovered that the enemy had left during the 
night. A number of officers were in the 
Church conversing and the subject of slavery 
was discussed. I heard Lieut. Col. Marshall, 
of General Lee's Staff, say, that if he supposed 
the object of the War was to uphold the right 
to own slaves he would resign. 

The enemy was followed for some distance, 
but as they had a good start, our troops did 
not catch up with them and before night they 
were back across the river. They did not 
leave very much behind, but an ox was found 
all ready to be slaughtered. I heard a pris- 
oner complain to General Lee of being 
abused and taunted by some of the Confeder- 
ate soldiers. He mildly rebuked the latter. 
The Army then returned to Orange Court 
House. The Headquarters of the Artillery 
of the 3rd Corps was established in front of 

[86] 



a9emoir0 of tbt Cibil 2Bat 

the home of Major Lee, near Madison Run. 
Mahone's Brigade of Infantry had its canton- 
ment near the farm of our Quartermaster, 
Major Wm. C. Scott, on the Run. While 
in Camp at (Major Lee's farm. Captain 
McMasters was assigned to duty temporarily 
as Inspector General on the Staff of Colonel 
Walker. We rested there quietly for one 
month. There was a grand review of the 
Infantry during that month, which I attended. 
Lieut. Richard Walke and I called on the 
bride of Major R. B. Taylor of the 6th Vir- 
ginia, who was staying in the neighborhood. 
She was Miss Lelia A. Baker, an acquaintance 
of ours from Norfolk, Virginia. Major 
Scott and his estimable wife were very kind. 
About the first of the year, 1864, the Artil- 
lery of the 3rd Corps was ordered to move 
back to Lindsay's Turnout on the Virginia 
Central Railroad, and establish cantonments 
for the winter. Headquarters was fixed at 
Meeksville, one mile from the railroad, and 
Battalion Commanders were ordered to cor- 
duroy the roads leading to the railroad depot 
from their respective cantonments. I obtained 
a ten days' leave and went to Richmond and 
thence to Rocky Mount, Virginia, to visit 
Col. Dillard's family. 

Longstreet's Corps returned during the 
winter and encamped a few miles from us. 
Captain McMasters was ordered back to the 
staff of General Field, Commanding a Division 
of Longstreet's Corps, and Colonel Walker 
was asked to name some one for appointment 
as Inspector General. He turned the matter 
over to me and I recommended Lieut. Richard 
[87] 



90emoit0 of tfte CitoU mm 

Walke, then serving as Ordnance Officer on 
the Staff of General Mahone. There was also 
a vacancy in the office of Chief Surgeon of 
the Artillery of the 3rd Corps. At his re- 
quest, I suggested Major Herbert M. Nash, 
Surgeon. In due time Lieut. Walke v/as ap- 
pointed Captain and Inspector General and he 
and Major Nash were ordered to report for 
duty on the Staff of the Artillery of the 3rd 
Corps. After the return from the Bristow 
Station Campaign, I received notice of my ap- 
pointment as Captain in the Adjutant and In- 
spector General's Department, and was or- 
dered to remain on duty with Colonel R. L. 
Walker. My appointment bore the date of 
October 23rd, 1863. This promotion was 
quite a surprise to me. While near Orange 
Court House the Artillery Battalion of Major 
King was ordered from Southwestern Vir- 
ginia to join the Army of Northern Virginia. 
One of its Batteries was known as Otey's Bat- 
tery, to which belonged my old friend John 
H. Sharp. This Battery had been engaged in 
the principal battle§ in Southwestern Virginia 
and was commanded by Captain D. N. Wal- 
ker. Beverly A. Tucker, now Assistant 
Bishop of Southern Virginia, was also a mem- 
ber. I rode over to see my friends and met 
there also Major James Y. Leigh, a Quarter- 
master, who was a fellow townsman. I sent 
to Richmond and had a tailor make over my 
dress uniform, which bpre the new insignia 
of rank and had a buff colored collar and cuffs 
of the same material, also a service uniform 
consisting of a double-breasted sack coat of 
fine gray cloth and sky blue trousers. I had 

[88] 



emoir0 of tfte Citoil JL^at 



exchanged a heavy overcoat with my brother, 
Captain George Chamberlaine, C. S., for a 
fine gray cloth cape and was then provided 
with suitable clothes for the coming campaign. 
The cape was especially useful as a protec- 
tion against bad weather and was much en- 
vied by other officers. On the march to Bris- 
tow Station, Captain Blackford, Engineer, 
said to me, "Where did you get that fault- 
lessly fitting cape?" I managed to keep my 
dress uniform and cape to the end of the War, 
then gave the cape to my brother, who had it 
dyed black. The rest of my belongings were 
lost during the final retreat from Petersburg. 
At the winter cantonment near Meeksville 
there was a shoemaker, who made me a pair 
of top boots, but the price was high — seven 
hundred dollars in Confederate notes. That 
currency was then very much depreciated and 
people used to say that it was necessary to 
take a basket to hold their money, while they 
could bring back their purchases in their hands 
from the market. The depreciation of Con- 
federate notes made me think of a scheme for 
having the staple cotton as a basis for the 
currency. The tithe tax was then in effect. 
My idea was, in brief, to establish large cotton 
warehouses at convenient but safe points, to 
store in them cotton received for taxes, and to 
pay the troops by orders on a warehouse for 
so many pounds of cotton, instead of Confed- 
erate notes. Those orders would have repre- 
sented actual values, and the families of the 
soldiers would have had something to keep 
the wolf from their doors. The helpless con- 
dition of the families at home caused many 

[89] 



^emoir0 of tfte Citiil GBat 

desertions. Some of these men were tried by 
Court Martial and shot, and many crosses 
might then be seen from the road from Or- 
ange Court House to Liberty Mills, which in- 
dicated the graves of soldiers condemned by 
Court Martial and executed. A soldier in 
our Artillery Command was tried for deser- 
tion and condemned to be shot near Orange 
Court House. As Adjutant General of the 
Command, it was my duty to be present at 
the execution and read the orders. I made 
preparation on the day appointed to go to Or- 
ange Court House. Lieut. J. T. Allyn's horse 
was sent to meet me at the station, but when 
I arrived on the ground, I found that General 
Hill had modified the order, and I was spared 
the unpleasant duty. I witnessed the execu- 
tion, the man died instantly, and his wife, who 
was present, left with the remains for Rich- 
mond. He was said to be a bounty jumper, 
that is, one who made a business of enlisting 
as a substitute, receiving the compensation and 
then deserting, to repeat the fraud in another 
part of the Army. He received little sym- 
pathy. My military duties prevented me from 
elaborating the scheme for a currency of cot- 
ton orders, and it never had any existence ex- 
cept in my mind. 

The Artillery of the 3rd Corps remained in 
that cantonment the balance of the winter of 
1863-64. We had a great deal of snow and 
frequent snow ball battles were engaged in 
between the men of different Battalions. A 
Battalion commanded by Major John C. Has- 
kell with Major Reilly as second in command, 
had joined our Corps. One of Haskell's 

[90] 



99emoir0 of tfte Citiil mat 

Batteries, Captain Lambkin, was about two 
miles away from the snow battlefield and Has- 
kell's men were being driven back by the men 
of Pegram's Battalion, when Haskell is said 
to have exclaimed, ''Oh, for Lambkin or 
night," thus imitating the Duke of Welling- 
ton, who when Napoleon's men were gaining 
the advantage at the Battle of Waterloo, ex- 
claimed, ''Oh, for Blucher or night." Military 
operations being at a standstill, I applied for a 
ten days' leave of absence and went to Rocky 
Mount, where I was married by the Rev. John 
Lee, of the Episcopal Church, to Miss Mattie 
Hughes Dillard on the 20th of April, 1864. 
My friend, John H. Sharp, heard of my pass- 
ing the town of Liberty and hastened to join 
me the day of the wedding and acted as one 
of the groomsmen. I returned to the Com- 
mand at the cantonment at the expiration of 
my leave, just in time for the Wilderness Cam- 
paign. The wife of Colonel Walker was at 
the Camp and had Miss Rose Morris visiting 
her. While I was absent a large box of pro- 
visions, meats, cakes, etc., arrived at the Camp 
for me. My fellow officers did not wait for 
my return, but opened the box and gave a 
party with the contents. What did I care? 
On the 2nd of May a telegram came from 
General Hill, ordering the Artillery of his 
Corps to Orange Court House. I opened the 
envelope and taking it to Colonel Walker's 
tent, where he and the ladies were talking, said 
"There was a sound of revelry by night, etc." 
quoting a part of the poem inspired by the 
news of the approach of Napoleon's Army to 
the Belgium Capital. 

[91] 



CHAPTER XV. 
Battle of the Wilderness. 

Orders were at once issued for the march 
and the Artillery started for the battle ground 
of the Wilderness. In my youth I remember 
hearing my grandmother Chamberlaine in re- 
lating her experiences of the War with Eng- 
land in 1812, say that a family should never 
abandon their dwelling house until the shin- 
gles commenced to fly off. I never understood 
exactly what she meant until the War of which 
I am writing came on. It was this, and I saw 
many instances proving the correctness of her 
remark, if you abandon your house it will be 
ruined or terribly injured by the soldiers of 
whichever side have access to it; whereas if 
the family continues to occupy it, while they 
may be robbed and otherwise disturbed, rarely 
will the house itself be destroyed. She meant 
by the shingles flying off, that if a battle was 
going on near, then it was necessary to seek 
temporarily a place of safety. 

As our column passed Orange Court House 
it was awfully inspiring to see the Army of 
Northern Virginia — ^Cavalry, Artillery and In- 
fantry — on their way to the Wilderness, about 
twenty miles distant. We bivouacked the first 
night at Vidiersville. I had been sent ahead 
to Gordonsville the night of the 2nd to send 
some dispatches to General Hill, and was 
made very ill by something I ate and passed a 
very miserable night in the telegraph office, 
but joined the Command next day. We left 
Vidiersville very early, Heth's Division in the 
advance, and his skirmishers encountered 

[92] 



^emott0 of tfte CitJil mm 



those of the enemy early on the morning of 
the 5th of May. A heavy battle was fought 
in the afternoon; Heth's and Wilcox's Divi- 
sions held their ground. I had been well to 
the front and near sunset was at Parker's 
Store. Capt. Grandy's Battery was at that 
place and the Ordnance train was arriving. A 
cross road comes into the Plank Road at that 
place from the Wilderness Tavern on the Old 
Orange Turnpike, and suddenly it was ru- 
mored that a column of the enemy was advan- 
cing by that cross road. Grandy's Artillery 
was ordered into Battery and was ready to 
fire down that road. As I had just arrived 
from the front from that direction I was sure 
there could be no enemy advancing on that 
road and at once rode in front of the Battery 
and announced my belief, but the drivers of 
the Ordnance wagons took fright and the 
leading wagon, turning to the right, proceeded 
at a dangerously rapid rate for Ordance 
wagons, followed by the rest of the train to 
get away from what they believed was going 
to be a battlefield. I tried to assure them there 
was no enemy near, but without success, and 
had to draw my saber and galloping alongside 
threatened to cut down the drivers unless they 
slackened their speed. That effort was suc- 
cessful, and the panic was soon over. The 
trees and undergrowth was so thick that only 
three or four guns were brought into action 
that afternoon. The enemy came very near 
getting one which had been posted on the 
Plank Road. The enemy's Infantry ap- 
proached so near the gun, that it had to be 
abandoned, but was drawn off after darkness 

[93] 



90emoit0 of tfte CitJil ^ar 

set in. Our Headquarters were established 
near Parker's Store. The next morning we 
were up at dayHght and proceeded to the 
front. Hancock's Corps had attacked Heth's 
and Wilcox's Divisions and were driving them 
back nearly to Parker's Store, but fortunately 
Longstreet's Corps arrived at that moment 
and filing to the right and left of the Plank 
Road, and facing towards _the front, drove 
the enemy back beyond the position Heth and 
Wilcox held the night before. While our 
men were falling back I saw General Lee 
among them, the bullets were flying by, and 
it seemed to me to be a very critical moment, 
but as I said Longstreet's Corps was arriving. 
After the enemy were driven back, Anderson's 
Division of the 3rd Corps arrived and General 
Lee established his field headquarters in an 
open space on the left of the Plank Road be- 
yond Parker's Store, where there were several 
large oak trees, it was sort of an oasis in that 
wilderness. There were many stafT of^cers 
there of the different Arms of the Service. I 
remember seeing the Chief Engineer of the 
Army. The 3rd Corps was deployed to the 
left of Longstreet's troops. I was directed 
to conduct a section of twenty-pounder par- 
rotts towards the left. As we reached a clear 
space, across which one could see for one mile, 
we found a Battery of Artillery firing at a 
line of Federal skirmishers, which had 
emerged from the woods. On seeing me. Gen- 
eral Hill told me to order the Battery to cease 
firing, as the skirmish line was disappearing. 
I looked across the open space in order to see, 
if possible, the right flank of Ewell's Corps, 

[94] 



emoit0 of tfte Ci^il mat 



which was over on Old Turnpike, but could 
only see the woods where it was supposed to 
be. Wilcox's Division was filing off in that 
direction. On my return to where General 
Lee was sitting, he directed me to come to him 
as I was the first officer who came from the 
direction of the firing. He. asked the cause 
of the firing; then if I had seen the right flank 
of Ewell's Corps; then if I had seen the 
enemy. I replied that I had seen the place 
where the flank of Ewell's Corps was supposed 
to rest, and Wilcox's Division marching in 
that direction ; that I had seen the reflection of 
the sun's rays on the musket barrels of troops 
in front of Ewell's Corps; also told him the 
cause of the firing. 

There was occasionally a sputtering of mus- 
ketry at the front, and some musket balls 
dropping around. The General muttered to 
himself, 'Those balls keep coming this way." 
I did not then understand what he meant, but 
in a very short time, it was explained. He had 
ordered General Longstreet to pass around to 
our right and attack the left flank of the Fed- 
eral Army under Hancock, and as soon as that 
attack should take place, the Federal musket 
balls would be fired in a different direction. 
That soon happened. Anderson's Division 
struck the enemy's left flank and drove it to 
the north of the Plank Road and cleared our 
front as far as the Brock Road. Very soon 
afterwards General Longstreet at the head of 
Jenkins Brigade rode to the front and some 
of Anderson's Division, which had advanced 
up near the Plank Road and seeing Longstreet 
and Jenkins' Brigade unfortunately supposed 

[95] 



emoit0 of the CitJil EHar 



them to be Federals; a volley fired towards 
them killed Jenkins and wounded Longstreet 
and many of the men. That accident delayed 
the movement. After the wounded General 
was removed, I saw Lieut. Col. Taylor rid- 
ing from the front accompanying his brother 
Captain Robertson Taylor, who had been 
wounded in the knee. That was the same 
officer who had taken me across the Potomac 
behind him on his horse on the morning of the 
Battle of Sharpsburg. He was Assistant Ad- 
jutant General of Mahone's Brigade. He re- 
covered from that wound. Lieut. Col. Taylor 
was on General Lee's Staff. 

I then rode to the front and a short distance 
ahead saw an elderly Federal General 
wounded in the head and was propped in a 
sitting position with his back to a tree. His 
boots had been removed and he wore 
white socks. He was apparently badly 
hurt and was picking at his nose. He died 
soon afterwards and his body was sent by 
General Lee by flag of truce to the enemy's 
line. It was Major General Wadsworth. 



[96] 



CHAPTER XVI. 
Spottsylvania. 

General R. H. Anderson was placed in com- 
mand of Longstreet's Corps and General Ma- 
hone in command of Anderson's Division. 
The undergrowth was on fire in many places, 
which communicated to the trees, and man) 
wounded soldiers of both Armies were burned 
who might otherwise have recovered. Later 
in the afternoon another attack was made on 
Hancock's line at the Brock Road, but did not 
succeed in driving it from the entrenchments. 
The Artillery of the 3rd Corps did not take a 
very active part in that battle, owing to the 
woods and undergrowth, but Poague's Bat- 
talion performed good service in one of the 
few clear spaces. Captain Richard Walke had 
reported for duty and was serving as Inspector 
and Aide-de-Camp. He and I accompanied 
Colonel Walker and were generally at his side 
unless temporarily absent on some duty. 
When one of us went off on some duty, on the 
return, he would take place on the left of the 
other, thus it was the turn of the one on the 
right to go for the next duty. Captain Walke 
was a very valuable addition to the Artillery 
Staff and a very agreeable tent mate. 

The Armies remained quiet on May 7th. 
On the next day the 3rd Corps followed the 1st 
Corps, which had moved to Spottsylvania 
Court House. Our command bivouacked at 
Shady Grove Church and early on the 9th 
arrived at the Court House and took position 
in front of the Court House buildings, that 
was the right of the Army. General A. P. 

[97] 



^emairs! of tfte CitJil MJat 

Hill was taken sick and General Early was 
placed in command of the 3rd Corps. His 
home was very near that of Mr. Dillard. They 
had been opposing candidates at the election 
for members of the Convention. The General 
was a pronounced Union man. Mr, Dillard 
was a Secessionist. The General was elected. 
As soon, however, as War was decided upon 
by the Virginia Convention, General Early 
threw himself into the movement with all his 
spirit and kept up his antagonism to the end 
of his life. Mr. Dillard was not a soldier, 
had passed the age and was not fit for mili- 
tary duty. I was standing near the camp fire 
of General Mahone, where were General Early 
and some of his staff, I believe it was on the 
11th, when he saw me and remarked, '*! hear 
you have married a young lady from my 
County." I replied that it was true. 

It was easy to recognize General Mahone's 
Headquarter's wagon, for one always saw that 
a cow accompanied it. That General was a 
confirmed dyspeptic and a good supply of milk 
was necessary. 

The fighting at Spottsylvauia was done 
mainly on the left wing and center. Some In- 
fantry of the 3rd Corps was sent from time 
to time to reinforce the left wing. When 
Hancock made an attack on the extreme left 
Captain Grandy's Battery was engaged. Han- 
cock forced that wing back and crossed the 
River Po, but did not remain long in that 
advanced position, separated as he was by that 
river from the rest of the Federal Army. 
During his forward movement, Grandy's Bat- 
tery wa§ compelled to retire rapidly. One of 

[98] 



^emoir0 of tht CitJil MJar 

my friends, Theodore A. Rogers, of Norfolk, 
fell from the seat of the limber of a gun and 
a wheel passed over his right leg, crushing it. 
He rolled himself out of the road and re- 
mained there some hours. After Hancock's 
force retired he was taken to a Hospital. That 
accident was most unfortunate. He suffered 
more or less the rest of his life and he was 
past fifty years of age, when it was found 
necessary to amputate the leg. But he was 
courageous and bore his sufferings manfully, 
and up to 1910, when he died, was an active 
and useful citizen of Norfolk. 

On the 12th the enemy assaulted a salient 
angle in the line on the left center and cap- 
tured from us a large part of Johnson's Divi- 
sion of the 2nd Corps and several Batteries 
of Artillery. The fighting at that point lasted 
all day, but the enemy made but little progress. 
On our wing Mahone's Brigade was advanced, 
and made an attack on the flank of the at- 
tacking force. When that movement was go- 
ing on I was sent with an order to our Bat- 
teries posted along the line, to aid the move- 
ment as much as possible. The order deliv- 
ered, I started a yell to encourage the Infantry 
and was galloping back towards the right, the 
enemy's batteries bombarding our line of guns, 
when a shell burst just to the front and left 
of me, enveloping myself and horse in a cloud 
of smoke. I felt the horse make an unusual 
movement and when one hundred yards far- 
ther, I stopped, dismounted and examining 
the horse found he was wounded in the knee. 
Just then courier Bragg was approaching and 
I took his horse and sent him with the one I 

[99] 



9@emoir$ of tfte Citiil Wiat 

had been riding to the rear for attention. 
When I reached Col. Walker he was talking 
with General Early, the Artillery firing con- 
tinued and soon we saw General Lee gallop- 
ing on the road towards us. Shells were 
dropping in the road, but he reached us in 
safety. He directed General Early to have 
the Batteries cease firing. Col. Walker sent 
Captain Walke with the order and he set off 
in a gallop by the same road on which General 
Lee had come. The latter turned around and 
said, "Have that officer take a road nearer the 
rear of the line of guns, it is a safer way." 
But Captain Walke was beyond hearing dis- 
tance, and gave the order and returned with- 
out injury. General Grant, having failed to 
carry our position on the left, was moving his 
Army towards our right. There was compar- 
ative quietness for two or three days. Grant 
did not seem disposed to make another trial 
against our line. I was quite unwell at this 
time. I had not removed my boots for several 
nights and was sent to the Hospital at Gor- 
donsville. That Hospital was crowded with 
wounded and the train was ordered to proceed 
to Lynchburg. I was assigned to a Hospital 
in that city and soon felt much better, but 
needed a few days more to recuperate and the 
Surgeon permitted me to go to Rocky Mount, 
where I remained a few days, then returned 
to the Army by way of Richmond. 

The Army of Northern Virginia had moved 
first to the North Anna River, then to Cold 
Harbor, and a battle had been fought there 
on June 3rd, which is said to have lasted less 
than one hour, and in which the Federal Army 

[100] 



9^emoit0 of ttie Citoil m^t 



lost ten thousand men. The two Armies were 
confronting each other at Cold Harbor when 
I rejoined. The picket firing was very severe. 
I rode with Col. Walker along the line pro- 
tected by a slight rise of the ground to where 
Major Mcintosh was preparing a pit in which 
to sink the trail of a Napoleon Gun, with a 
view of firing shell to drop into the enemy's 
line a short distance in front, as it was re- 
ported they were constructing gradual ap- 
proach works. Nothing of importance oc- 
curred for several days, when on the morning 
of the 13th of June it was found that the 
enemy had disappeared from our front. Cap- 
tain Charles W. Wilson, who commanded the 
Battalion of Sharpshooters of Mahone's Divi- 
sion, was captured at that time. Each Divi- 
sion had a Battalion of sharpshooters, made 
up of details from the different Regiments, 
and as soon as a Division took its place in 
line, its Battalion of sharpshooters covered its 
front as pickets. 

Before setting out for the Wilderness Cam- 
paign, while we were at the winter canton- 
ment, my younger brothers came to see me. 
They were cadets at the Virginia Military 
Institute when Norfolk was evacuated in 
May, 1862. Richard graduated in 1863 and 
joined McGregor's Battery of Horse Artil- 
lery, with which he served to the end of the 
War. Henry, two years younger, was not 
able to keep up with his class, he said because 
the Battalion of Cadets were sent so often to 
places in the southwest of Virginia to repel 
raids; so after the January Examinations he 
was discharged. He came to me, and as per- 

[101] 



^emoir0 of tbe CitJil mat \ 

mission to return to the family through the j 
lines was refused, I concluded to choose a j 
Battery of nice young men and have him en- j 
list in it. He was seventeen years and some | 
months. I asked Major W. T. Poague to ] 
recommend a Battery; he advised me to take \ 
him to Captain Ward's, from Madison, Miss. ; 
So he enlisted in that Battery belonging to j 
Poague's Battalion, where I would be able to \ 
look after his welfare. He got through the i 
Wilderness Campaign, but his former Captain, ; 
Major Ward, was killed at Oxford on the ' 
North Anna. 



[102] 



CHAPTER XVII. 
The Siege of Petersburg. 

Finding Grant's Army had left our front 
at Cold Harbor, the Artillery of the 3rd 
Corps was ordered to take the road towards 
the James River. We crossed the Chickahom- 
iny River, passed near Bottom's Bridge and 
pursued the road to the crossing of White 
Oak Swamp. I was approaching familiar 
ground, but we were not expecting to meet the 
enemy so soon. 

Col. Walker was riding with General John 
R. Cooke, commanding a force of Infantry, 
the Artillery column following. As soon as 
we crossed the swamp we found the enemy 
on the Charles City Road. General Warren's 
5th Corps of the Federal Army with Cavalry 
was screening the movement of the rest of 
that Army towards the James River. Quite 
a brisk skirmish took place, but as night was 
approaching the fighting soon ceased. Next 
morning the enemy had left. 

Our Corps remained at that place several 
days. Captain Walke and I rode over to Mal- 
vern Hill, about two miles distant. Having 
been present at that battle, we thought we 
would recognize the field, but we could not, the 
appearance of a battlefield is so much changed 
in two years by the growth, be it of bushes, 
weeds, or a different crop growing in the 
fields, that we were on the ground before we 
knew it, and then only by information from a 
Cavalry man, one of the force watching that 
flank. Perhaps if we had had more time, we 
might have traced the charge of Mahone's 

[103] 



^empir0 of tfte CiUiI Winx 

Brigade at that battle, but we were obliged 
to return to Camp. 

On the 17th, the Corps was ordered to 
march to Petersburg. The first night we bi- 
vouacked at Four Mile Creek and early next 
morning crossed a pontoon bridge near 
Drewy's Bluff. Soon after crossing, we passed 
General Lee, who was alone. Those were ex- 
citing times ; the fact of Grant's having crossed 
'his Army over the James River and was 
marching against Petersburg had just become 
known to him, but he looked as serene as a 
May morning. He had sent the 2nd Corps 
under General Early from Cold Harbor to 
Lynchburg and was going to meet General 
Grant again with the 1st and 3rd Corps, 
reinforced by the force under General Beaure- 
gard. The latter General with his small force 
had manfully resisted the first assaults of the 
advance of Grant's Army, had displayed great 
ability in the management of his inferior 
force. 

Our column reached Petersburg about two 
P. M. As we passed Bollingbrooke Street, I 
left the column, went to Mr. Norman Page's 
house for a few minutes to see my sister-in- 
law, Mrs. George Chamberlaine. There was 
great excitement in the city, the Federal Ar- 
tillery was shelling it. I found Mrs. Cham- 
berlaine well. While there a shell struck a 
house diagonally opposite and raised some- 
thing like smoke. There was no other man 
near and I was asked to carry a bucket of 
water to extinguish the fire. I took the water 
up to the third story; arrived there I found 
the shell had not set fire to the house, but had 

[104] 



^emoir0 of tfte CiUiI mat 



raised much plaster dust, which had been taken 
for smoke. I soon left and caught up with 
the column. Mahone's old Brigade was 
marching up from Pocahontas Bridge, the 
12th Regiment, composed mainly of Peters- 
burg men, at the head of the Brigade, then 
commanded by Col. D. A. Weisiger, and the 
band was playing a lively tune. 

It was a long time since that Regiment had 
been in Petersburg, and oh, so many who had 
gone away with it were then missing, many 
of them dead, killed, some by bullets, others 
had died of disease, and many more were go- 
ing to follow the same sorrowful road before 
the end of the siege. 

The 3rd Corps took position on the right 
and our guns were placed in the entrench- 
ments already happily provided for just such 
an event as was then taking place. There was 
fighting going on at that time, but some dis- 
tance from our position. Captain Walke and 
I rode over to the river above the bridges and 
enjoyed a swim. It was then the 18th day of 
June, the weather was very warm and the 
roads were dusty. Artillery Headquarters 
were established out Halifax Street near a 
railroad cut back from the dwelling houses. 
Occasionally a force of Infantry was sent out 
m front accompanied by Artillery. One of 
these expeditions led by General Mahone en- 
countered the 2nd and 6th Corps of the Fed- 
eral Army and took many prisoners In this 
engagement the Captain of my old Company, 
11. M. Hardy, was wounded in the head but 
recovered. The battle took place a short dis- 
tance in front of our line of guns, but was not 
[105] 



9^emDir0 of tfte Ci^il U\^t 



visible on account of the woods. One of our 
Batteries, Captain Grandy's, was placed in 
position on arrival in the Reeve's Salient, 
which was really beyond the left of our Corps, 
but having occupied the works there it was 
found next to impossible to withdraw it, be- 
cause of the proximity of the enemy's earth- 
works; they fired at anything which appeared 
above our earthworks, whether it was a head 
or only a hat. 

The Battery had to remain there for several 
months and had a very hard time, losing many 
men. Wm. E. Taylor was a Sergeant in that 
Battery. He obtained a furlough and was 
on a train which had an accident, his knee be- 
ing badly injured. He is still living in Nor- 
folk and one of its most highly esteemed citi- 
zens, but he has never recovered entirely from 
that injury, which often gives him a great deal 
of trouble. During the month of July on Gen- 
eral Burnside's front the enemy were prepar- 
ing a mine; to prevent the discovery of his 
work, the pickets kept up a fusillade daily. 
At last, on the 29th of July, it was all ready, 
and was exploded early on the morning of the 
30th. It blew up a number of men and sev- 
eral guns, and his columns charged over his 
own works and up the slope to the scene of 
the explosion, where they found a large and 
deep crater. Meantime the Confederate on 
each side brought guns to bear on the advan- 
cing Federals and their Infantry to fire at 
them. The Federals took position in the 
crater, which occupied a considerable space, 
but they could not get farther. General 
Beauregard commanded that part of the Con- 

[106] 



Q^emoirs! of tfte CilJil Uint 



federate line. Mahone's Division was ordered 
to that position and made its way by a ravine 
concealed from the enemy. A furious bom- 
bardment was going on, the Confederate Bat- 
teries to the right and left of the crater formed 
by the explosion of the mine, replied vigor- 
ously. Captain J. H. Chamberlayne's Battery 
on the right and Colonel H. P. Jones' Artillery 
on the left took a very active part. The lat- 
ter had wisely arranged his guns for just such 
an event, for the Confederates suspected that 
the enemy were preparing a mine in that lo- 
cality. Mahone's Division was deployed on 
Blandford Hill and advanced against the 
enemy, whose lines were about to move for- 
ward, drove them back and forced all who re- 
mained, into the crater. A bloody hand to 
hand conflict took place. In a short time those 
who remained in the crater surrendered and 
were sent to the rear, many of them were 
negro soldiers, some from our city of Norfolk. 
Many of our old Regiment, the 6th Virginia, 
were killed or wounded. Lieut. Col. William- 
son lost an arm. Ensign Howard Wright was 
killed, Sergeant Whitehurst, of Portsmouth, 
acted very bravely, in fact, there were many 
acts of individual heroism. Lieut. Col. Stew- 
art, of the 61st, was present and has written 
a graphic account. I was near the scene, but 
was not called upon to participate. I saw the 
negro prisoners going to the rear. The next 
day was quiet. Captain Richard Walke and I 
were lying in our tent at night talking, when 
I felt something like a grasshopper. We got 
up and shook the top blanket, then laid down. 
* s I stretched out, I felt something like the 

[107] 



^emoir0 of tbe Citoil mat 

prick of a needle in my left foot. I got up, 
put on my boots, and went to the kitchen fire, 
called my servant, who lighted a candle, it 
was then midnight, went and examined the 
blanket where Walke was still lying. We 
found a Moccasin snake coiled up. Walke 
got up rapidly and the snake was killed, but I 
had been bitten. A Surgeon was sent for 
and remedies applied, my servant willingly 
sucked the wound. A pint of new apple 
brandy was procured with difficulty, and later 
Lieut. Col. Cutts senlj a pint of peach brandy, 
which he had just received from his home in 
Georgia. All of which I consumed in order 
to counteract the effect of the poison. The 
Surgeon arrived in about two hours. I was 
very sick and unconscious, but next morning 
was much better, although the foot was very 
much swollen. A sick leave of absence was 
procured, and with my servant, I left for the 
home of Mrs. Chamberlaine's father, Mr. Dil- 
lard at Rocky Mount, Va. We arrived there 
on the third day, not without difficulty, for 
the railroad had been cut and bridges burned 
by raiders, a manner of warfare taught the 
enemy by our great Cavalry leader, General 
J. E. B. Stuart. I am greatly indebted to an 
old lady named Ashenhurst, who lived near 
Rocky Mount, for a reasonably speedy cure of 
the bite. She secured in the forest some snake 
weed, made a poultice of the leaves, and also 
some tea to take internally. At the end of a 
month the swelling was reduced, but there 
were some yellowish streaks up to my knee. 
I returned to the Army about September 1st 
and found Walke occupying the same resting 

[108] 



^emoit0 of tfte Citoil mac 



place. Surgeon H. M. Nash had reported and 
we three lived together awhile, when Col. 
Walker's Headquarters were moved to a point 
near the Old Fair Grounds and in rear of 
Battery No. 45. General A. P. Hill's Head- 
quarters were quite near. Colonel Walker 
was promoted to Brigadier of Artillery. 
While we were there Captain Thos. A. Bran- 
der was married to a daughter of the Rev. 
Lewis Walke, a cousin of Captain Richard 
Walke, who procured a leave and acted as one 
of the groomsmen. 

While I was off on sick leave the news re- 
ceived from the North led us to believe that 
the Northern people were anxious to make 
peace, but a month or two later an entire 
change of sentiment seemed to have taken 
place. The Presidential Campaign was then 
in progress. Lincoln had been renominated 
by the Republicans and McClellan by the 
Democratic Party. General A. P. Hill and 
Mrs. Hill dined one day with General and 
Mrs. Walker, and in the course of the con- 
versation I heard General Hill say that he 
hoped McClellan would be elected, because if 
it became necessary to surrender, he would 
prefer to do so to McClellan. He and Mc- 
Clellan had been close friends; at the mar- 
riage of the latter, Hill had acted as grooms- 
man. 

The siege of Petersburg was long and 
wearisome, it lasted nine months. At times 
there was great activity on parts of the long 
line which extended from five miles south of 
Petersburg to eight miles east of Richmond, 
at least thirty miles. The Otey Battery had 

[109] 



9^emoir0 of tfte CitJil mat 

joined our Corps and I met my friend, John 
H. Sharp, occasionally, who was detailed as a 
courier attached to the Headquarters of Gen- 
eral E. P. Alexander, Chief of Artillery of the 
1st Corps. General Longstreet had almost re- 
covered from his wound, and was welcomed 
back to the Army. General Beauregard had 
.been ordered South and General R. H. Ander- 
son succeeded to his Command. Col. D. A. 
Weisiger was promoted to Brigadier General 
and retained Command of Mahone's old Brig- 
ade. There were also many promotions in 
the Artillery. Wm. Pegram was promoted to 
Colonel, D. G. Mcintosh to Colonel, Thos. A. 
Brander to Major, Poague to Lieut. Colonel, 
Jos. McGraw to Major. Towards the end of 
the year General Walker was indisposed and 
appealed for a sick leave. He asked me to 
take it by the regular channel for approval. I 
rode to General Lee's Headquarters just be- 
fore sunset. He occupied Pryor's house in 
Petersburg. One entered the front door and 
on the right was General Lee's room, and the 
left Lieut. Col. W. H. Taylor's office. I went 
in the latter and Col. Taylor was attending 
to the application when General Lee entered. 
I rose and saluted and the General said, ''Good 
morning, sir." It was then late in the after- 
noon and his remark made me feel a great de- 
sire to leave, so, as soon as Col. Taylor 
handed me the application, which had the ap- 
proval written on it, I left. The old General 
was probably fatigued by the great responsi- 
bility of his position. Supplies were scarce 
and there were a great many desertions from 
the ranks. No doubt he knew that the lines 

[110] 



9^emoit0 of tfte Citiil mat 

were closing around his Army and that he 
saw that disaster was approaching. 

It was now winter, not much going on at 
the front, and it was usual for officers to have 
their wives come to Petersburg and find a 
boarding house in that city. It was, however, 
hard to find suitable places. Captain George 
C. Reid, a Quartermaster, was stationed there 
and had rented a house on Halifax Street. 
His family had been neighbors of my father 
in Norfolk, Va., so he invited me to take a 
spare room in his house, which I accepted with 
thanks. He had with him his wife and two 
young daughters, Alice and Annie. Mrs. 
Chamberlaine arrived with her father and was 
duly installed with the Reids. As provisions 
were scarce my rations were turned over to 
them daily. It was a great favor on the part 
of the Reids and I have always felt exceed- 
ingly grateful to them. Mrs. Chamberlaine 
remained there six weeks. Cannon and mor- 
tar firing was going on continually and we 
could from that house hear the explosions and 
also the crack of the rifles of the pickets, who 
kept up a continual battle. 

■Mr. Dillard was very anxious to see the 
works and the enemy's lines, so I ordered my 
horse and a spare one to be taken to Jarratt's 
Hotel and we rode to the front. Our horses 
were so much reduced by the lack of forage 
that he was astonished at their condition, and 
said if I would send my black mare up to 
Rocky Mount he would put her in the pasture 
to fatten up and let me have another. When 
Mrs. Chamberlaine was ready to return, I ob- 
tained a short leave and accompanied her 

[111] 



9^emoir0 of tfie CitJil MJar 

home, and sent the mare by railroad. On my 
return I rode the new horse to Lynchburg, 
sixty-two miles. When I reached a point five 
miles from that city, there was a steep hill 
to ascend, and I dismounted and walked be- 
side the horse. He was tricky and as we 
reached the top of the hill, jumped away out 
of my reach, turned around and ran av/ay. I 
tried to catch him, but when I got almost to 
him, he trotted off again; that was at the top 
of the hill, back towards his old home. I 
met a carriage with one lady, a colored man 
was driving. The lady refused my request 
to allow her servant to assist me to catch my 
horse, and drove on in the direction my horse 
had gone. I was almost in depair, for I 
thought he would certainly return the fifty- 
seven miles to Rocky Mount. I sat down on 
the side of the road, and had not to wait very 
long, for soon the lady's servant came back 
riding my horse, some distance back on the 
road they had found him grazing. With a 
gratified heart I rewarded the servant, 
mounted and was soon at Lynchburg. The 
day had been beautiful and no other contre- 
temps had occurred on that long ride. I had 
sent my servant by the railroad from Big Lick 
to Lynchburg, and he met me there. It was 
easy to get transportation from Petersburg, 
but not on freight trains going towards the 
Army, because the cars were all needed for 
supplies for the Army. I stayed that night in 
Lynchburg with my good friend, John R. 
Todd, he being employed in the Nitre and 
Mining Bureau and had a comfortable place 
on the Island, near the railroad depot. He 

[112] 



^emoir0 of tfie CitJil Olat 

was very kind and hospitable to me, and to 
many other friends. A snow storm came up 
that night and the next morning the ground 
had a covering of six inches of snow. I sent 
my servant on the horse to Petersburg, one 
hundred and twenty-five miles. It took him 
nearly a week to make the trip. I left by the 
train that afternoon, but the snow was so deep 
in the railroad cuts that it stalled before we 
had gone twenty-five miles. The passengers 
had to remain on that train all night and all 
of the next day, when we had gotten as far 
as Parnplin's Depot; then one night there. 
The weather was milder the third day, and 
our train reached Petersburg in the afternoon. 
The first news we heard was, that there had 
been a battle near Burgess' Mill on our right 
flank and General John C. Pegram had been 
killed. Military operations had now become 
more active. It was about the first of 
March. The number of desertions had in- 
creased. Our line was so long that it was 
more like a skirmish line than a line of bat- 
tle. The latter part of March, General Lee 
determined to strike a blow and assembled a 
force of Infantry and Cavalry near Blanford 
Church. We were ordered to arms at day- 
light all along the line. The force under Gen- 
eral Gordon rushed forward and captured a 
considerable part of the enemy's line a little 
to the left of the crater; but was not able to 
hold it long, for the enemy rushed reinforce- 
ments to the scene, and Gordon's force was 
obliged to return to our lines. In the after- 
noon I was sent to notify Major Richardson 
that Captain Grandy's Battery would be re- 

[113] 



9gemoir0 of tlje CftJil Mat 

lieved that night. There was a sort of truce 
then on that part of the line, the enemy did 
not fire at everything that appeared. I went 
by the covered way to the Battery, saw Major 
Richardson and he called my attention to a 
movement of Federal troops on their Military 
Railroad towards their left. He took me to 
the crest of the earthworks, from which point 
I could see the movement, which I reported 
on my return. A little while before that it 
would have been certain destruction to go on 
the breastworks, but our neighbors were then 
more pacificably disposed. That night I went 
again to that Battery to see it withdrawn and 
conduct it a part of the way to its new posi- 
tion, which was several miles to the right. It 
was withdrawn about one hour before day- 
light. Several weeks before that. Captain 
Charles R. Grandy and I rode over to see 
the crater. We examined it carefully, it was 
like an excavation, long and comparatively 
narrow, our line had been established directly 
after the battle in rear of the place, and the 
rains had washed the sides, giving the appear- 
ance of a railroad cut. The clay taken from 
the bottom was found to be of an excellent 
quality for pipes. On the 31st of March a 
large force of the enemy had been collected 
on our extreme right, a number of our Bat- 
teries had been sent there. On that morning, 
while there, quite a brisk engagement took 
place and we saw Wise's Brigade with others 
charge the 5th Corps of the Federal Army, 
which was driven back some distance. 

That evening, after I returned to our quar- 
ters, I remarked to a friend, that our line 

[114] 



emoir0 of tt)e CitJil Mlat 



from the dam in front of Battery 45 to Bur- 
gess' Mill did not appear to me any stronger 
than a horsehair. We did not have the troops 
to make it any stronger. About this time 
General Walker was directed to organize two 
Companies for temporary Infantry duty from 
the supernumerary Artillerymen. Those men 
were ordered to appear at our Headquarters 
one morning and were duly organized into two 
Companies of about sixty men each, and the 
Non-Commissioned ofHcers appointed pro tem. 
They were armed and equipped as Infantry 
and sent to man Fort Gregg, which was a 
small earthwork raised about two hundred 
yards in rear of the main line, with its front 
perpendicular to the latter, and located about 
three hundred yards from Battery 45. There 
was another work two hundreds yards farther 
back from the main line. In case of a flank- 
ing movement by the enemy those earthworks 
were intended to be occupied by troops to re- 
pel it. 

By daylight on April 2nd heavy firing being 
heard on our left, General Walker mounted 
his horse and rode rapidly in that direction, 
followed by Captain Walke and myself. He 
found the enemy had captured a small portion 
of our line near the Reeve's Salient. As he 
saw me approach, he directed me to go to the 
line in front of Fort Gregg and bring him a 
section of Artillery which was posted there. 
I started at once, but when I reached Fort 
Gregg, I was informed that the main line 
in front had been seized by the enemy and the 
section of rifle guns with it, together with 
other pieces, and that Lieut. Ellet had been 

[1151 



95emoir0 of tfte Ci\3il Mlar 



killed. Captain J. Ham Chamberlayne was 
there, and was in great distress because his 
friend Ellet had been killed and the guns cap- 
tured. I started back to inform General Wal- 
ker and met him half way. He went at once 
to that point, where Ellet had been killed. It 
appeared that the main force of the enemy had 
left and the captured line with the guns was 
held by a skirmish line only. A few of our 
Infantry men were standing around and ac- 
companied by General Walker, they drove the 
enemy away and recovered several of the cap- 
tured guns. Very soon afterwards we saw a 
Brigade of Infantry, commanded by General 
Harris of Mississippi, coming from Peters- 
burg, about four hundred strong. At the same 
time, a column of Federals marched by file 
over our line of works about one mile to the 
south of where we were standing. As soon 
as that column had passed over our entrench- 
ment, it faced to the right and advanced in line 
of battle towards us. The Brigade of General 
Harris deployed in line advanced to meet 
them. The Federals outnumbered them by 
one thousand at least. Both lines were ad- 
vancing, and when within musket range, a 
few shots were exchanged. Then Harris' 
Brigade retired slowly, and when it reached 
Fort Gregg, a part of it entered that Fort, thus 
reinforcing the force of Artillerymen armed as 
Infantry, and the other part occupied Fort 
Whitworth, about two hundred yards to the 
right. There were also some men of Lane's 
Brigade which had been driven from our main 
line, who entered Fort Gregg, besides a sec- 

[116] 



9@emoir0 of tfte Citiil KBat 

tion of rifle guns of the Washington Artil- 
lery, commanded by Lieut. McElroy. 

The enemy's line halted and its Commander 
made preparations for an assault. General 
Walker with his staff went to Battery No. 45, 
from which point there was a good view of 
the two Forts and the terrain in front. A 
small stream flows between Battery No. 45 
and Fort Gregg, and winds along the valley 
in front of the Confederate works and empties 
its waters into the Appomattox River above 
Petersburg. The limbers of the section of the 
Washington Artillery had been sent back to 
that stream. Seeing the preparations for the 
assault of that Fort, General Walker directed 
me to go and say to the Commander of the 
Artillery that he thought two guns should be 
withdrawn. I started and found Lieut. Col. 
Eschelman at the stream near the limbers, and 
delivered the message. He was the Com- 
mander of the Battalion of Washington Artil- 
lery. But there was not time enough to send 
the limbers with the horses .to the Fort and 
withdraw the guns before the first assault. 
Immediately afterwards the enemy delivered 
an assault and was repulsed, but remained 
close to the Fort and kept up a fusillade. 

I had returned to the hill where General 
Walker was watching the action. He had 
sent Captain Walke with a similar message to 
Fort Whitworth and two guns were with- 
drawn from that work, the enemy had not 
shown any disposition to assault it. Very soon 
the enemy made another assault on Fort 
Gregg. There were some of the soldiers' 
cabins in front of Fort Whitworth occupied 

[117] 



^emoir0 of tfte CitJil mat 

during the winter, and our men set fire to 
them, and they were burning furiously while 
the enemy was occupied at Fort Gregg. The 
second assault was also repulsed. 

In a short time a third assault was made, 
and succeeded, the Federal soldiers climbed the 
slope of the work on its right flank and filed 
along the crest and fired on the Confederates 
huddled together on the parade. We could 
see them very plainly. A color bearer ran out 
of the Fort with his flag; two men pursued 
him, but he passed the little stream. Men 
near Battery No. 45 fired at his pursuers and 
they went back to Fort Gregg. So the color 
bearer escaped w^ith his flag. Major General 
C. M. Wilcox was in command of that part 
of the Confederate line, and was standing 
near the limbers of the guns of the Washing- 
ton Artillery just in rear of Fort Gregg, by 
the little stream. We witnessed the whole 
of that battle at Fort Gregg and felt very in- 
dignant when we saw the Federal troops fire 
down on its brave defenders after they had 
crowned the ramparts. There is no doubt 
that our men were sacrificed, but the intention 
was to hold the Federal troops in check until 
reinforcements could arrive and the inner line 
of works surrounding Petersburg be manned. 
That result was accomplished, for Longstreet's 
troops from Richmond arrived about that time 
on the scene, and the inner line of works, a 
very strong position, was occupied by them. 
Our line then commenced at the Appomattox 
River below the city and stretched around 
Petersburg and rested on the same river above 
the city, and was firmly held until night. 

[118] 



9iemoir0 of ttje Citoil mat 

General A. P. Hill had been killed early in 
the morning in attempting to reach that part 
of his Corps on the right which had been cut 
off by the Federal troops, who had broken 
through the line to the southwest of Battery 
Gregg. He was shot by a Federal skirmisher. 
General A. P. Hill was regarded as one of the 
best of the Corps Commanders. He was very 
much esteemed by his men, and was a dashing 
soldier, and beloved by his officers. 



119] 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

The End Approaches. 

'No attempt was made by the enemy to force 
the new Hne, and at sunset it remained as 
when established in the forenoon. General 
Walker went to Field Headquarters, where 
General Lee was sitting on the porch of a 
dwelling with General Longstreet. Hill's 
Corps was placed under the command of the 
latter. The order was given to evacuate the 
lines at dusk. I was sent to withdraw the 
Artillery of the 3rd Corps posted on the line 
to the left of Battery No. 45, and Captain 
Walke to withdraw that on the right of that 
position. All of the guns of the 3rd Corps 
were promptly withdrawn and marched 
quietly through the city to Campbell's Bridge 
and after crossing the river, proceeded on the 
Hickory Road towards the Clover Coal Mine. 
Very little rest was obtained that night. We 
were moving when the day dawned on April 
3rd. There were many refugees from the city 
of Petersburg. I saw the Reverend George 
D. Armstrong plodding along the road on 
foot. He was pastor of the Presbyterian 
Church in Norfolk and it was reported had 
been harshly treated by the Federal Officer 
in Command of that city and finally expelled 
from the Federal lines, and had been in 
Petersburg for several weeks, but was now 
compelled to move again, when that city was 
evacuated. As he was then an old man and 
seemed to be without anything to protect him 
from rain or the dampness of the earth, I pre- 
sented him with a rubber blanket which I had 

[120] 



0iemoir0 of tfte Citiil MJat 

secured during the battle of Chancellorsville, 
for which he seemed to be very grateful. The 
retreat continued until the morning of the 5th, 
when, after having crossed the Appomattox 
River again, we arrived at Amelia Court 
House, where Sheridan's Cavalry was found 
barring the road to Danville, and the railroad 
supply trains had been sent back towards 
Lynchburg. As those trains contained food 
for the Army, there was great disappoint- 
ment, for the troops had consumed all they 
had taken with them from the lines at Peters- 
burg. 

While at Amelia Court House, I witnessed 
the destruction of a number of caissons filled 
with ammunition, but never learned whether 
it was an accident, or by design. General Lee 
ordered a few Battalions of Artillery — those 
best equipped — to accompany the Infantry and 
ordered all the rest to be formed into a column 
under the Command of General R. L. Walker, 
and proceed through Buckingham County 
towards Lynchburg. The Artillery column 
left the main column at Deatonsville, crossed 
the Appomattox River, and took the route as 
directed. On the way to Deatonsville we saw 
several places where the enemy's Cavalry had 
attacked the wagon train and burned some of 
the wagons, so after crossing the river, Cap- 
tain Walke was ordered to have the bridge 
burned, which duty was performed. The col- 
umn proceeded some miles and at dark bi- 
vouacked for the night. Our force consisted 
of a part of the Artillery of each Corps, with 
two Battalions of dismounted Artillery armed 
as Infantry, all accompanied by their wagons. 

[121] 



Memoirs of tfte Citiil Mat 

Next day we passed through Cumberland and 
Buckingham Counties, and on the 7th of April 
arrived at a place called New Store, where 
the road we were moving on comes into that 
over which the main body of the Army was 
marching, and about eleven miles northwest of 
Farmville. Here we observed certain indica- 
tions of a rout; some teams with harness, but 
no wagons. Food was very scarce, but we 
managed to collect a little on the way. Our 
column continued its march, and at dusk bi- 
vouacked. The moon was about full and the 
weather clear. The column was ordered to 
move forward at one o'clock A. M. Major 
H. M. Nash, Chief Surgeon of the Artillery 
of the 3rd Corps, accompanied the General 
and his staff. That night he, Captain Walke, 
and myself, were discussing the situation and 
as there was a strong probability of losing 
some of the wagons, we determined to put on 
as many of our clothes as we could wear, the 
weather was cool and the extra clothing was 
not uncomfortable. 

Major R. C. Taylor, of Norfolk, Virginia, 
joined us that afternoon and when we halted 
for the night, he heard from some one pass- 
ing, that his brother, Lieut. Col. Walter H. 
Taylor, had been killed on the retreat. He 
therefore determined to turn back to meet the 
main body of the Army, which was coming 
on the road several miles behind our column. 
The report was not true. 

We moved at one A. M. and passed through 
Appomattox Court House about midday and 
two miles west of the Court House took a 
road to the left, which led to Appomattox Sta- 

[122] 



^emoit0 of tfte Citiil mat 



tion on the Southside Railroad. When within 
one-third of a mile of that depot, we found a 
large open field. It was then nearly two 
o'clock and General Walker ordered the col- 
umn to halt and form a park, so the men could 
eat their food, as well as the horses. General 
W N. Pendleton rode up and entered into 
conversation with General Walker, in the 
course of which he directed that the number 
of guns should be reduced to the point that 
could be drawn by the number of horses m 
suitable condition— many horses being com- 
pletely worn out — to fill up ammunition chests 
and to bury such guns as could not be drawn. 
I was sent with that message to Colonel W. L. 
Cabell, whose command was a few hundred 
feet away. As I was delivering the message, 
the advance guard of Custer's Division of 
Federal Cavalry rode up and commenced fir- 
ing their revolvers. 



[123] 



CHAPTER XIX. 

The Last Battle. 

As soon as the park was formed, I had 
gone on to the railroad station, and seeing 
Surgeon James D. Gait, he told me that it was 
reported there, that the Federal Cavalry had 
reached Pamplin's Depot, ten miles east, and 
would probably reach Appomattox by nine 
P. M. I returned at once to General Walker 
and reported what I had heard, and was sent 
at once to Colonel Cabell with the message. 
The Federal Cavalry was much nearer to us 
than the report indicated. General Walker 
directed me to ride back to the Lynchburg 
Road to get any troops that I might find, to 
come to our support. I met one of our Bat- 
tallions armed as Infantry, led by Captain 
Walke, advancing in line of battle towards the 
enemy. Not finding on the Lynchburg road 
anything but a few stragglers, I returned to 
the front. General Walker directed the wagon 
train to retire by the Lynchburg road. 

As many guns as could be brought into ac- 
tion commenced firing at the approaching 
Cavalry, the Battalions armed as Infantry 
joined in the battle and held the enemy back, 
but they siezed the trains of cars standing 
at the depot. About one hour after the first 
attack, Gary's Brigade of Cavalry, several 
hundred strong, arrived, and having dis- 
mounted took position on the right of the line. 
General Pendleton took position a little in rear 
of the line and I remained with him. Our 
men stood off the enemy until dusk, repelling 
numerous attacks, until the greater part of the 

[124] 



0gemoit0 of tfte Citiil Wat 

guns and wagons had moved off towards 
Lynchburg, when nearly the whole of Cus- 
ter's Division having arrived, they made a 
charge and swept over all that was left, some 
twenty guns and a few wagons (among the 
latter our Headquarter's wagon), which were 
captured. 

A section of the Washington Artillery 
brought up our rear and held the enemy back 
from our line of retreat, holding a position 
at the junction of the road to the depot and 
the road to Lynchburg. We had a number 
of men killed, wounded and some taken pris- 
oners. Our_Commissary, Major A. W. Par- 
ker, lost an arm and was sent in an ambulance 
to Lynchburg. He had taken a musket and 
fought in the ranks. Major Miller was with 
the section of the Washington Artillery. 

After riding about one mile on the Lynch- 
burg Road, I came up with General Walker 
and the rest of his Staff. He directed me to 
return and bring off the section of the Wash- 
ington Artillery. I went back at once ; we did 
not know what had happened during that 
charge and I supposed those two guns had 
been captured with the rest. Nevertheless, it 
was the General's duty to send after the rear 
guard and mine to go for it, but on arriving 
at the position it had held so firmly, I found 
it still ready for anything which might turn 
up. The enemy held in check by those two 
guns, had stopped and taken the road on 
which our main body was approaching. 

Our Surgeon, Major H. M. Nash, had been 
caught in the charge of the Federal Cavalry; 
had been thrown from his horse, and dragged 

[125] 



90emoit0 of tfte Cibil mat 

by one foot in the stirrup quite a long dis- 
tance; his foot then was disengaged and he 
rolled himself to the ditch on the side of the 
road, thus escaping being injured by the hoofs 
of horses following. He told me afterwards 
that his extra clothing helped to keep his body 
from being bruised. He was found and kindly 
treated by a Federal Surgeon and recovered 
his horse. He lived until 1911, a distin- 
guished surgeon and physician in Norfolk, 
highly esteemed and beloved. 

I gave the order to the section of Artillery 
to limber up and led them to the column, but 
it was nearly daylight, before we caught up 
with it. Soon after daylight appeared, Sur- 
geon Carrington arrived at our bivouack and 
gave the following message from General R. 
E. Lee : "I intend to try to cut my way out at 
daybreak. If you can reach us and think you 
can be of any service, do so. If not disband 
your Command and allow the men to go either 
to join General Jos. E. Johnson in North 
Carolina or to their homes, as they may elect." 

Our column was at least ten miles from the 
main body, and when the message was re- 
ceived, it was then past the hour for the at- 
tack. General Walker decided to disband the 
command, which was done. Many of the guns 
were dismantled, wheels cut and guns buried. 
The General and Staff took a road leading to 
Bent Creek Ford on the James River; before 
reaching the ford we met some of our Cavalry- 
men, who said the Army of Northern Virginia 
was then being surrendered. Captain Walke 
decided to go back to surrender, but after- 
wards changed his plan, and went to join the 

fl26] 



emoir0 of tfte Ciuil mat 



Army of General Jos. E. Johnson. We 
crossed at the ford, the river was high, and the 
water came over my boot tops. Proceeding 
along the tow path, we reached the Estate of 
Doctor Gilmer near Tye River Warehouse, 
about 8.00 P. M. Mrs. Gilmer was a sister 
of the General. Doctor Gilmer's brother was 
there, he had served in the Legislature with 
Mr. Hughes Dillard, Mrs. Chamberlaine's 
father, and on learning that I intended to 
make my way to the latter's home, he sent this 
message, ''What do you think now of the 
rights of the States in the Territories?" 

Next morning the members of the Staff 
separated. The General remained. I went 
as far as North Garden, where I stopped one 
night at Mr. Slaughter's, whose home was 
near Cedar Mountain, in Culpepper County, 
but had taken refuge at a place at North Gar- 
den. Next day I crossed the Blue Ridge 
Mountains alone at Rock Fish Gap, and ar- 
rived at Waynesboro at sunset. There was a 
report in that town that General Lee had sur- 
rendered, but a kind blacksmith put a shoe 
on my horse and took Confederate money in 
payment. A gentleman named Turk took me 
home with him, where I spent that night, for 
which I was very grateful. He gave me an 
early breakfast and directed me to Tinkling 
Spring, where I found the main road to Lex- 
ington. I stayed that night at Wallace's Inn, 
I think in the town of Brownsburg. Next 
morning I passed through Lexington and went 
as far as Colonel Poague's farm. Col. Poague 
was one of our most distinguished Artillery 
Officers. We had been very good friends in 

[127] 



90emoir0 of tfte CilJiI Wiat 

the Army and he was very hospitable. I have 
invited him to my home, but he never got as 
far as Norfolk, but did serve a term in the 
Legislature. 

From his house, I rode to Big Lick, now 
called Roanoke, forty-seven miles. As I 
passed through the town of Buchanan, the 
churches were open and services being held. 
We had decided that it would be best to leave 
our sabres at the Gilmer's, as we might meet 
some of the enemy's troops, and be conducted 
to prison. As I approached Big Lick, I de- 
cided to avoid it, if occupied by the enemy. I 
reconnoitered and found it was not, so went 
to Trout's Inn and spent the night. 'Mr. Trout 
kindly accepted a five-dollar Confederate note 
for my bill. I presume the news of Lee's 
surrender had been received in the village, but 
he did not object to the money. Next day I 
reached the residence of Mr. Dillard by twelve 
o'clock noon, twenty-eight miles. Of course I 
was warmly welcomed by all. They had had 
no news from me since the retreat commenced. 

I am nearly at the end of my story, but it 
was necessary to surrender and get a parole 
before my connection with the Military service 
would be completely severed. I remained at 
Mr. Dillard's home in the village of Rocky 
Mount about five weeks. While sitting on the 
front porch one morning a troop of Federal 
Cavalry rode through the town. They were 
in search of General J. A. Early. They did 
not find him, for he had notice and had taken 
refuge at the home of Captain Woods, twelve 
miles away. The troop stopped at the house 
of Mr. John Saunders, Sheriff of the County, 

[128] 



90emDir0 of tfte Citiil mat 



about one mile from the village. I started to 
go there, but it came on to rain, and I con- 
cluded to wait for a better opportunity to sur- 
render. 

While there, we heard of the assassination 
of the President of the United States and were 
very sorry that such an act had been com- 
mitted by one pretending to be in sympathy 
with the South. 



[129] 



CHAPTER XX. I 

Return. ^ 

About the first of June, in company with ' 

Mr. Dillard, I rode to Danville, the 6th Corps i 

of the Federal Army was stationed there. ] 

When we arrived at Martinsville, the County I 

seat of Henry, we rode into a company of < 

Federal Infantry. I was not noticed and after , 

a short conversation between Mr. Dillard and | 

the officers in command, we started for Fair- i 
mount, the Estate of Mr. Dillard's mother, 
who was then living. 

After a visit of a day or two, we started j 

for Danville. We found that town full of j 

troops. There was at that time much talk , 

about sending the Federal Army to Mexico, to ; 

drive away the French troops, Napoleon III ] 

having established Maximillian on the throne .; 

of Mexico and was supporting him by a Corps 1 

of French troops under Marshall Bazine. ] 

But the United States authorities, in order 1 

to keep the Southern States in subjection, sta- j 

tioned a Company of Infantry or Cavalry in ] 

each County. | 

I applied for a parole at the office of the | 

Provost Marshall, which was given without I 

hesitation. This permitted me to return to j 

my home and to remain undisturbed so long j 

as I obeyed the laws of the Country. I left \ 

on the Richmond train the next morning, ar-y ^ 

rived at Richmond at midnight. The clerk \ i 

at the Spottswood Hotel said he was not al- \ 
lowed to receive Confederate Soldiers, but he 

permitted me to stay in the front window the '!■ 

rest of the night, also two other Confederates: ] 

[130] 



9iemoir0 of tfte CitJil Mlat 

one was an officer of the Confederate States* 
Marines, and the other Captain William Face, 
a pilot who had lived in Norfolk. At least 
we had a roof over our heads. We left at 
dawn of day for the Norfolk steamboat land- 
ing. In the afternoon I arrived at my native 
city after an absence of a little more than 
three years. 

The retreat from Petersburg was very hard 
on the Army of Northern Virginia. Its num- 
bers had been reduced by casualties, provisions 
were scarce and by the end of the 6th day 
General Lee had reached the conclusion that it 
was impossible to keep up the struggle any 
longer and wisely decided to seek an agree- 
ment with General U. S. Grant for a 
cessation of hostilities. The latter replied 
that he had no authority to do anything 
more than to accept a surrender, but his 
terms were very liberal. He allowed both 
officers and men to keep their horses and 
issued rations to our almost famished 
troops. On the day before the surren- 
der by General Lee had our column of Re- 
serve Artillery not stopped where it did, but 
gone beyond the Southside Railroad, leaving 
a small detachment to procure supplies from 
the railroad trains, which were only one-quar- 
ter of a mile from the place where we had 
halted, it seems probable that it would have 
escaped the Federal Cavalry and reached Dan- 
ville. But we had no information of the 
movements of the Federal Cavalry and sup- 
posed they were following the main body of 
our Army, which was some twenty miles be- 
hind us. But the result would have been the 

[131] 



emoir0 of tfte Citiil mat 



same. The Armies of the Confederate States 
were about worn out and could hold together 
but a little while longer. The Southern States 
lost a great many men and much treasure, but 
those who survived the War had learned a 
great deal by their experience and many v/hose 
health had been feeble had become strong by 
the out-Oi-door life, all of which was neces- 
sary, for most of them had really to begin life 
again, and the Army had maintained its honor. 



[132] 



GENERAL REMARKS. 

The majority of the people of Virginia was 
not in favor of a resort to arms to settle the 
question in dispute between the Sections : they 
preferred Peace in the Union and many efforts 
were made by our Statesmen to prevent con- 
flict, but the radicals on both sides were so 
insistent on their respective views that all such 
efforts were futile. 

Once War declared, then it was not only 
the duty but the desire of all the young men 
of my acquaintance to do their best to main- 
tain the position of the Confederate States. 
As to the martial qualities of the men of the 
two sections, those of the South seemed to 
have a little more elan than the natives of the 
North, while the latter possessed more per- 
sistence. Both were brave, hence the terrible 
battles and the fearful slaughter which took 
place during the ensuing four years. The 
benefits of an education at the West Point 
Military Academy was shared by both sides. 
Any man who had been educated at that In- 
stitution was eagerly sought after in the South 
to fill a prominent place in the Army, and the 
men in the ranks, as well as the young officers, 
had great confidence in their ability to lead 
them properly. 

Ex-Governor William Smith was appointed 
Colonel of the 49th Virginia Infantry, which 
regiment at one time was attached to the 
Brigade of General William Mahone. I do 
not think the Governor pretended to have a 
military education, but he was a brave man, 
and like a good planter was careful of those 

[133] 



9iemoir0 of tfte CitJil mat 

in his charge: two very important qualities 
for a commanding officer, and when he wished 
his skirmishers to advance and said to them 
'*Sic em, boys," they understood as well what 
was required of them as if he had given the 
Command as provided in the books on Mili- 
tary Tactics. Then he was an elderly man, 
and when on the march in a hot sun did not 
disdain the use of an umbrella, which action 
some military men would have condemned. 
Governor Smith reached the rank of Major- 
General before the close of the war. 

The troops stationed around Norfolk, Va., 
under Major-General Benj. Hager, although 
near the enemy were not brought into actual 
contact until they participated in the battles 
near Richmond, Va. Just before those bat- 
tles occurred, an order of General James 
Longstreet was read to our Regiment at 
parade, in which occurred this language: 
"While the noise of battle is indeed terrifying 
and seems to threaten universal destruction, 
after all but few soldiers are actually slain." 
I well remember hearing that order read and 
it had a good effect on the soldiers who had 
not been under fire in a general engagement. 
It was felt by them that General Longstreet 
knew all about it, and there was a good chance 
for them to go through all that fearful firing 
and come out without a scratch or perhaps 
with only a slight wound. After the seven 
days' battles were fought and we had an op- 
portunity to read the lists of killed and 
wounded, we felt that the General had treated 
the subject lightly, but then we had been 
through it and became, as it were, seasoned. 

[134] 



Q5emoir0 of tfte CitJil mat 



The most unfortunate thing about the bat- 
tles fought earlv in the war was the impetuos- 
ity and lack of ^experience of the high rankmg 
officers. Many attacks were made by single 
Brigades and even single Regiments, which 
were quickly repulsed with great loss, while 
if the whole front line could have moved at 
the same moment, a different result would 
probably have followed. That was perhaps 
due to two or more reasons ; first : Some otti- 
cers wished to have the credit of capturing 
^uns; second: The orders to advance were 
not explicit; third: Lack of Staff Officers to 
communicate orders and information. Such 
things happen to the Army making an attack 
On the other side, the party attacked should 
be always ready to receive the attacking foe. 
I believe the great loss sustained by the Con- 
federates, in the battles around Richmond, 
Va., was due to those causes. As time passed 
the General Officers became more proficient 
and their men became veterans. ^ 

To supply the army with food seemed in 
those days to be a very difficult thing. I am 
sure the Army of Northern Virginia never 
reached to the 100,000 mark, and I have since 
often thought how our large cities, even those 
in Virginia, always seem to have abundant 
supplies for their inhabitants, and I have asked 
myself the question, did we formerly receive 
a large part of the supplies for the Southern 
States from North of Mason and Dixon's line. 
Vegetables were scarce, the Confederate Sol- 
diers lived on flour and corn meal and bacon 
or beef most of the time the war lasted. At 
one time there was a ration of plug tobacco 
[135] 



9^emoir0 of tfte Citiil Mlat 

issued. I used smoking tobacco but had no 
use for the plug, so gave it away. Officers 
were allowed two rations each day, one for 
himself and the other for his servant, and 
forage for two horses, if he had two. 

There were many highly intelligent men 
who served as couriers attached to the Head- 
quarters of General Officers. The duties of 
these men differed but little from those of 
aides-de-camp, who were regularly commis- 
sioned officers, and deserved to be rewarded 
in the same degree as the commissioned staff, 
but the law restricted the number of those 
who received commissions. Some General 
Officers acknowledged the services of their 
couriers in their official reports, but the prac- 
tice was not generally followed. Many of 
them received commissions later in the War. 
While our Company "G", 6th Virginia In- 
fantry, formed a part of the garrison at 
Craney Island, only four miles from our 
homes, many little tricks were resorted to by 
the men to go off without leave and spend a 
night at home. On one occasion when the 
steamboat was about to leave the wharf in 
the afternoon, I was standing on the wharf, I 
saw the wife of one of our men standing at 
a window of the saloon, apparently very sad 
at leaving, the yellow shade of the next win- 
dow was lowered, but the western sun cast 
the shadow of her husband full upon the yel- 
low shade and I recognized it distinctly. His 
person was concealed, but the shadow told on 
him. In such cases it was best not to notice 
the little trick, so I let it pass. The volun- 
teers were making a great sacrifice for their 

[135] 



03emoir0 of tfte CiUil Wiat 



country and I did not think we ought to be 
too strict in Httle matters. I had seen only 
his shadow and not the man. His absence 
was not officially reported to me. For shelter 
at that post log huts were built; a detail was 
sent to the neighboring pine forest, and cut 
poles; these were used to build the huts and 
were duly chinked and the openings closed 
with mud, making quite comfortable quarters 
during the cold weather. When Norfolk was 
evacuated the garrison of Craney Island 
marched to Suffolk, twenty-five miles distant, 
and then proceeded by railroad to Petersburg. 
The following list contains the names of 
the members of Company "G," 6th Virginia 
Infantry, not heretofore mentioned in these 
memoirs : 

Cafe*ei^, John R. 
Styron, Oscar M. 
Archer, R. L. 
Baylor, Robt. B. 
Bell, Robert S. 
Clark, Fred. W. 
Deiches, W. 
Fentress, Thomas 
Fletcher, Oliver N. 
Goodridge, IT.) E. 
Hopkins, Richard 
Langhorn, Wm. W. 
Merritt, John B. 
McKenny, Wm. W. 
Reid, J. T. S. 
Robinson, W. C. 
Rosenberg, M. 
Seal, John R. 



Butt, J. L. D. 
Biggs, Wm. G. 
Biggs, James H. 
Chisman, John R. 
Core, John H. 
Gordon, John D. 
Gordon, W. R. 
Holmes, Alex. T. 
Kerr, Edward. 
M^sden, B. A. 
McPhail, C. H. 
Pentz, Geo. M. 
Robertson, C. 
Robins, Geo. S. 
Rowland, J. H. 
Smith, J. k. 
Shipp, John S. 
Southgate, I*.. 



1137] 



^4 ^ '^^ ^uc^^r], 



99emoit0 of tfte CiUil Wiat 



Umstawfefift, M. 
Whiting, W. N. 
Wicker, D. H. C. 
Marsden, J. B. 
Stokes, M. N. 
Beale, Brook 
Cason, Benj. F. / ^ 

Gliyot, R. S. ^'^#v.*^^'V^ 
Hudgins, W. R. sj 
Keeling, S. S. 
Morris, J. S. 
Saunders, Palmer 
Taylor, Robertson 
Wilkinson, H. D. 
Collier, James M. 
Freeman, Joseph N. , 
Gwynn, T. P. 
Hyman,tTjM. 
Mapp, R. A. 
Mallory, Chas. O. 
Stone, Geo. F. 
Walker, Geo. B. 
Walker, J. T. 
Cannon, D. C. 
Foeman, C. W. 
Hunter, W. W. 
Jaquineau, A. H. 
Milhado, A. G. 
Porttock, R. G. 
•Funstall, Alex. V Ty 



Segar, John 
Smith, Henry 
Stone, David S. 
Voss, Albert C. 
Williams, John N. 
Walsh, William. 
Simmons, Albert B. 
Hill, John T. 
Arrington, Peter 
Bell, Douglass 
Bell, James N. 
Cole, Cornelius M. 
Dey, James B. 
Fitchett, Julius M. 
Freeman, Robert 
Goodridge, Geo. K. 
Hardy, Thos. A. 
Lawson, A. S. 
Moore, Walter S. 
Murray, John 
Reynolds, H. S. 
Robinson, William 
Rowe, S. D. 
Seal, Wm. B. 
Segar, A. S. 
Smoot, William 
Thomas, Rich. S. 
Ward, Josiah J. 
Wise, W. M. B. 
Young, Thos. A. 

Langley, 

Of the above many were appointed to im- 
portant positions in the Army, some were 
transferred to other Commands and some 
discharged for disability. 
Finis. 



V 



[138] 



u^i'Vir^e-WU-li-rvt^t w.*"^-^ 



^ 



<^^0J*K(S^, 



'''ri 



CCT 21 1912 



